Stop the World
by BubblegumPenguins
Summary: A year ago, Mitchie and Shane finally tied the knot. What does life have in store for them after the champagne and "I do's"? Sequel to Speak Now by BubblegumPenguins
1. Chapter 1

**Oh shit, we're back! Nice, not even three words in and the vulgar language has begun. We missed you all so much! It's been exactly 523 days since we finished Speak Now! That almost 75 weeks without you guys! And then of course it's been 2 years exactly since we actually started this series, so we're happy to have been able to put it on the same release day!**

**Now, if you haven't read our story ****_Speak_** **_Now_****, then you should definitely go check that out. If it was possible, we'd just post the link in here, but we can't, so just go to our stories and look for ****_Speak Now_****. It's 50 chapters, but we've been told that it's worth reading ;) **

**So let's give you a bit of a background. It's been a year since ****_Speak Now _****and Shane is on tour and Mitchie has come along for the ride. The rest, you're just going to have to read about :)**

* * *

"Mitchie, do you know where my toothbrush is?" I heard Shane call from the bathroom. I rolled my eyes as I set down my suitcase.

"Did you check your bag?" I asked as I laid down on the bed. We were in the middle of another Connect 3 tour. We had been fortunate enough to get a hotel room for the night, but I still missed home. Things didn't always go well when we were on tour. But the last time we had been on tour together had also been our first tour together. That was ages ago at this point. We had grown up for the most part…right?

"No, I didn't even think about that. Could you bring it to me?" Shane asked from the bathroom. I growled under my breath.

"And you can't just come out and get it?" I asked, massaging my head. I could feel a headache coming on.

"You're out there. Just grab it from my bag and bring it to me," Shane said. I growled and stood up from the bed. Instead of getting his toothbrush, I grabbed my coat and walked out of the room.

It had been a year since Shane and I had gotten married. And in the year, I have gone on a two month tour through the United States, recorded a new album, gotten a few cameo roles on popular television shows, Connect 3 has released a new album, Shane and Nate have also had recurring roles in television shows, Caitlyn has helped produce music for other artists like Alabaster Carnation. I hosted the _Teen Choice Awards_ alongside upcoming teen heartthrob Austin Moon. Jason had directed a pilot for a television show that wasn't picked up by the network, but he had really enjoyed it. Nate started a solo side project where he would put all his music onto YouTube and donated all proceeds to diabetes research.

Our year had been _insane_, and I loved it. I really did. But it had been causing a bit of tension between Shane and I. We were newlyweds and we never saw each other. It wasn't exactly what we had pictured. We were trying our hardest to keep it together, but behind closed doors, things were starting to fall apart at the seam, and Shane and I were both trying to catch it, but we were never running in the same direction, so we were either drifting apart, or we were colliding with each other. It didn't help that it was like I'd been constantly PMSing for the past month or so. It was extremely annoying.

I walked past Nate's room. I could hear him and Caitlyn talking about something. They were probably finalizing wedding details. In a month, the tour would end and they would prepare for their last week of single life. They would be married a week after that. Everything was falling into place with them.

After Nate had finally proposed at mine and Shane's wedding last year, Caitlyn and Nate had spent a month in a weird "engagement bliss" before they finally began actually planning the wedding. I was happy for Caitlyn, but after Shane and I got married, we became oddly distant, which is strange considering she was part of my band and she was my sister. It was like I went into newlywed mode and she went into fiance mode and between those two modes, there was no room for sister mode or best friend mode anymore.

I walked made my way past Jason's room. Oh Jason. After he and I had broken up, we had kept our distance, but we couldn't stay away forever. Rather than being awkward and distant like Shane and I had originally been, Jason and I got along like we did before we had started anything. It was like nothing had happened. I would never forget the night of the wedding. Shane and I were leaving, but we caught a glimpse of Jason and Emily dancing together.

I knew Emily had some place in our odd little group. I just didn't think it would be with Jason. But they were perfect for each other. Jason kept Emily from turning into a total bitch, and Emily kept Jason from being too much of an airhead. They created perfect balance.

I made my way to the door to the roof. I didn't even care if Shane came following after me. I just needed to get out. I felt confined. Stuck on a tour bus. Stuck in a hotel. Just stuck. I couldn't handle it anymore. I opened the door to the roof and inhaled the smell. New York City. Not the greatest smelling city, but it wasn't the worst. I walked over to the edge of the roof and rested my arms on the ledge. I heard the door open, but I ignored it.

"What did I do now?" Shane asked. I rolled my eyes.

"Nothing Shane. You never do anything wrong," I said. Shane sighed and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"We both know that's not true. I do plenty of things wrong. Like right now. You're upset and that means I'm doing something wrong as your husband," Shane said in my ear. I sighed. This is the Shane that I needed. The Shane who knew when something was wrong.

"Shane, I have been so confined lately. I feel like I can't breathe anymore. Everywhere I go it's you and Nate and Caitlyn and Jason and Emily and cameras and paparazzi and fans and I just can't handle not being able to get a break. Maybe if we had our own tour bus I wouldn't be fried out, but I just am at my wits end. And if I'm being completely honest, newlyweds aren't supposed to be this distant with each other. I mean, we're coming out of the newlywed stage, so I assume everything is how it's supposed to be, except the distance between us," I confessed. I heard Shane sigh and kiss the side of my head.

"Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?" he asked.

"Because this isn't even my tour Shane. If this was my tour, that would be different. But I didn't have to come along. I chose to," I said.

"That doesn't mean that you have to suck it up. I want you to be comfortable wherever we go," Shane said.

"But I don't want to make a mountain out of a molehill," I said softly.

"It's not making a mountain out of a molehill. It's letting your husband know you're uncomfortable," he said. I sighed and nodded.

"Alright. Then I'm telling you now…I can feel a headache coming on and I feel exhausted," I said honestly.

"What do you need from me?" he asked.

"I just want to go home Shane. I haven't been feeling well recently and I think I should just go home and get in to see my doctor," I said.

"Well why don't we just find a doctor somewhere in New York?" he asked.

"Shane, I want to see my doctor. The doctor that I've had for the past few years that knows me and I trust completely," I said. Shane sighed. I wasn't good with doctors, but I had finally found a doctor I trusted completely.

"Alright Mitchie. If you think that's what's best for you, I trust your judgment," Shane said. I could tell that he was disappointed. He had begged me to come with him on the tour. He'd promised me that we'd get some quality "Smitchie Time" and we did, but I just needed to go home.

"When do you want to leave?" Shane asked.

"I want to stay for your show tonight, and then I'll catch a flight later tonight," I said. Shane nodded and grabbed my hand.

"Alright, until sound check tonight, what would you like to do?" he asked.

"I would love to go to our room and take a long nap," I said honestly.

"We can do that. I was thinking maybe something else, but I'd be okay with a nap," Shane said. I smirked and rolled my eyes.

"We have our whole lives to have sex Shane," I said.

"No, we have until we are fifty. Nobody likes the idea of old people sex," Shane said.

"Ew, Shane. That's not a picture I needed in my head. Now it's like I'm going to have the image of my grandparents having old wrinkly sex," I said.

"Great, now I have that image in my head," Shane said, shuddering slightly. I laughed and leaned against him.

"Let's go take a nap," I said softly.

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

"What?" Caitlyn exclaimed, receiving the glares of a few stagehands. The guys were in between songs, so if Caitlyn was too loud, the audience would probably hear her.

"Mitchie, why are you going home?" Emily asked me.

"Guys, I'm just in need of home right now. There's a month left of the tour. I can survive a month without Shane," I said.

"Mitchie, stay here with us," Caitlyn said quietly.

"Caitlyn, I need to go home," I said softly.

"But why can't you just stay here?" she asked.

"I think I'm sick. I just feel irritable all the time. I want to see my doctor to be sure it's nothing serious," I said.

"Mitchie, please stay here? I'll be lonely without you," Caitlyn said. I could feel my right eye start twitching.

"Caitlyn, you know how Mitchie is with doctors. We should just be thankful that she's going to the doctor," Emily said, sensing my obvious irritation.

"She's not sick. Trust me. I'd know if she was sick," Caitlyn said. I rolled my eyes. She opened her purse and pulled out a sandwich.

"Caitlyn! Did you just pull that out of your purse?" Emily asked.

"I bought it right before the show. It's not like it's been in there for weeks," Caitlyn said. I could smell the sandwich and my stomach twisted.

"Still, don't you think that's a little gross?" Emily asked.

"Eh, I think it's fine," Caitlyn said. The guys ran off the stage for intermission.

"Hello ladies," Shane said to all of us before wrapping his arms around my waist. I could smell the sweat on him. I held my breath slightly as my world warped a bit.

"Don't you guys have to get dressed?" Emily asked, eying me nervously.

"Yeah, we do. Let's go guys," Jason said, pulling Nate and Shane away. I inhaled deeply, but only got the smell of Caitlyn's sandwich. I could feel the headache creeping back.

"Mitchie, I really think you should stay. Keep Emily and I company. I mean, I know you're married and all, but that doesn't mean you have to ignore all of my invites to hang out," Caitlyn said.

"Caitlyn, you always invite me to hang out at the last minute when Shane and I have plans," I said.

"So why don't you ever try to make plans with me?" she asked.

"Caitlyn, is it really important right now?" I asked, leaning against the wall.

"Mitchie, are you okay?" Caitlyn asked.

"Yeah, you don't look very good," Emily said.

"I just need to…sit…" I don't really remember what happened after that, but Emily and Caitlyn tell me that I passed out for about three minutes, and in that time, Shane, Nate, and Jason hadn't come back, so we were somehow able to keep it from the world. Apparently, they pulled me into one of the extra rooms for me to come to.

"Mitchie? Wake up Mitchie," I vaguely heard. I opened my eyes slightly and saw the concerned looks on Caitlyn and Emily's faces turn to relieved.

"Oh my gosh! You're okay!" Emily said. I looked around and looked at Caitlyn's guilty face.

"What's wrong Caitlyn?" I asked softly.

"Maybe I was wrong. Maybe you do need to go home," she said. I sighed and leaned against Emily. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

I stood on the tarmac to take the Connect 3 jet back home. Shane, Nate, and Jason were all still trying to convince me to stay. Luckily for me, Caitlyn and Emily both agreed to come home with me to keep an eye on me in case I was really sick. I'm sure that since I fainted, they were expecting the worst thing possible. I had a sneaking suspicion about what was wrong with me, but I didn't trust anybody but _my _doctor to tell me if I'm right or not.

"Promise me you'll call me and let me know when you find out if you're sick or not," Shane said.

"You know I will," I said quietly.

"I love you Mitchie," he said softly, kissing me on the forehead.

"I love you Shane," I said, kissing his jaw softly. I pulled away from him and joined Emily and Caitlyn who had already bid Jason and Nate goodbye.

"Have a safe flight ladies," Jason said, smiling at us.

"Don't make us regret leaving you troublemakers," Caitlyn teased.

"Oh don't worry. By the time we see you all again, we'll all have tattoos and piercings in places that you would never expect us to," Shane replied with a wink.

"Nate, keep Shane in line for me. If you need to, just smack him over the head every once in awhile," I said. Nate laughed as Shane's jaw dropped in fake shock. We blew them all kisses and walked on the flight. We took a seat and looked at each other.

"I can't believe we're going home," Caitlyn said.

"It's bittersweet. Like, I'm happy to be going home, but I miss the guys," Emily said.

"Well, I think it'll be good for us. How about we spend the month all at my house. We can have it be one really long girls weekend?" I suggested.

"I'm going to have to pass until I know what you're sick with. If you're contagious, we can't catch that," Caitlyn said, gesturing to her and Emily. I rolled my eyes and tried to let the comment roll off my shoulder, but it just kind of pissed me off. I rolled my eyes and put in my ear phones. I would just listen to music for this ride home. Note to self: Find friends that _aren't _going to marry your brother-in-laws.

* * *

**Bam! There we go! We have broken ground! So is Mitchie sick? Is she fine? She's fainting! TELL US WHAT YOU THINK! Leave a review in the story's undercarriage (below) and If you have followed us (mostly Tianna) on Tumblr, you know what the hell is going on! For all the rest of you, you'll just be stuck wondering. If you know what our Tumblr is, then you can go check it out, and you may as well click the follow button as well! It's filled with everything Penguin-ish. **

**Also, we have a mascot! His name is Prentice. He's not pink, he's gray, but that's okay cause he's cute. He's our current avatar picture on the profile page, so go check that out if you'd like! Links to the Tumblr is on our profile. We're in the process of cleaning that up, so bare with us here. Also, go check out Tianna's twitter! It would do her a huge favor (but if you don't, we won't hold it against you) the link for that is also on our profile.**

**So can anybody guess what Demi Lovato song inspired this chapter? We've hidden some of the song's lyrics in this chapter. If ****_anybody _****can correctly guess the song, I will post chapter 2 in a couple days. If nobody guesses it, then chapter 2 will be posted in a week. I'm going to try to keep consistent update schedule, but I if you guys can figure out what song inspired this one, I'm totally willing to mess with the schedule a little bit! There is a clue hidden in the dialogue. Some of the lyrics have been altered so they don't sound so poetic, but if you look closely, you'll see it.**

**Alright, we love you more than we can express and we will see you guys next time! **

**-T**

_*Disclaimer: We, BubblegumPenguins, do not own Camp Rock, the Teen Choice Awards, Austin Moon, Wizards of Waverly Place, or any of Demi Lovato's Songs*_


	2. Chapter 2

**So I promised that if somebody guessed the song that inspired the first chapter, that I'd post the second one...and I totally forgot that I had one line up at the top of the page. That was _not _supposed to be there. I totally thought I deleted that. So someone was able to easily figure it out. And I seriously wanted to kick myself when I realized it, but oh well. You guys did your part, now I'm doing my part! :) So here you are! Chapter 2!  
**

* * *

"So, what do you think is wrong with you?" Caitlyn asked while we sat in the waiting room of the doctor. Emily had chosen to stay home instead of come with me. Caitlyn opted to come with me for support. She knew how I was with doctors.

"I think it's just a flu," I said.

"Mitchie Gray," the nurse called.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Caitlyn asked.

"No. Thank you Caity. I think I can do this on my own. I'll fill you in on what's up once I get out," I said.

"Alright. Good luck," Caitlyn said.

I stood up and followed the nurse to a back room where she took my blood pressure, weight, height, all that jazz.

"So Mrs. Gray, why are you here today?" the nurse asked me.

"I'm actually here for a pregnancy test," I said.

"Why do you think you're pregnant?" the nurse asked.

"I have been having headaches, a couple fainting spells, I've been getting sick in the mid-morning but then I'll be fine later. Ultimately, I missed my last period, and I haven't been late in a really long time," I explained.

"Alright Mrs. Gray. We'll do some blood work and get you the result immediately," the nurse said, escorting me over to the lab area.

Once my blood was drawn, I was taken back to the room and I sat there waiting for what felt like hours. It was too quiet in there. I felt myself start dozing off as I waited.

"Mrs. Gray, while I do often say you need more sleep, I'm guessing that chair would be very uncomfortable," a voice said. I opened my eyes and smiled.

"Dr. Frey, how are you?" I asked.

"The better question is, how are you?" she replied, sitting down in the seat doctors sit in.

"Just tell it to me straight Doc. Am I or am I not?" I asked. She smiled gently.

"Congratulations Mitchie, you are pregnant."

* * *

"So? What's up with you? Are you sick? Are you dying? Can I have your clothes if you are?" Caitlyn questioned after I got out from seeing Dr. Frey.

"I'm...fine," I said. I couldn't tell Caitlyn I was pregnant before I told Shane. That wasn't fair.

"So what was the whole thing with being sick?" Caitlyn asked.

"I guess I was just homesick and stressed, so it was manifesting into something physical," I lied.

"So you were just...homesick?" Caitlyn asked.

"I guess," I said.

"Seriously Mitchie?" Caitlyn asked before rolling her eyes and walking out of the clinic.

"Caitlyn!" I called out after her. Was she seriously angry at me for not being sick?

"I could be with my fiance, but no. I came home with you to be a good friend because I thought you were really sick, and then it turns out that you're actually just homesick? Let's go back," Caitlyn said.

"You just came back cause you thought I was sick? So if I just had wanted to come back, you would have stayed on tour?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. Mitchie, that's my future husband," Caitlyn said.

"Yeah, and its my current husband," I said.

"Your soon to be ex-husband," Caitlyn said under her breath. I froze.

"What?" I asked. Caitlyn looked at me in embarrassment.

"Look, I'm not saying that it's a for sure thing, but I overheard Shane talking to Nate and...Mitchie, you keep pushing him away," Caitlyn said. It took everything in me to keep from reaching over and smacking her.

"Caitlyn, you don't know ANYTHING about what's going on with Shane and I, so quit acting like you do," I said.

"I don't know anything about you two?" Caitlyn asked.

"No. You don't. You have been living in this bubble that is all about you and Nate, and I get it. I really do. But you can't just assume you know what's going on with Shane and I," I said.

"Mitchie, I don't have to assume. You can see that there's tension," Caitlyn said as we reached the car.

"There's tension because I'm trying to juggle everything and I've been neglecting my husband. I've acknowledged that. But I can't balance everything. I'm not a superwoman! I can't keep juggling Shane, and a tour, and Mom and Dad are having problems and mom's been unloading on me, and we have an album coming out in a few months, and you are getting married in a month and as your matron of honor I'm trying to keep the stress off you, and then you've been acting like I'm your second choice. You have been spending more time with Emily than with me. I'm your sister in case you forgot!" I exclaimed. Caitlyn was glancing around. I noticed the group of paparazzi snapping pictures of us.

"Great. Just great," I said quietly, ducking my head.

"Get in the car," Caitlyn said softly. I wordlessly complied. We drove in silence until we reached mine and Shane's home. We walked in and let the silence envelope us. It was much to quiet in here. Without warning, she threw her purse down on the counter and opened her arms.

"Okay, let's hear it," she said before crossing her arms. I crossed my arms in discomfort.

"Or did you get it all out in public?" she sneered.

"Caitlyn...I'm-"

"No! No apologies! Guess what Mitchie! I'm juggling too. I'm juggling time with Nate and the tour. You have mom unloading on you, well guess who Dad's unloading on? Oh yeah. Me! And I'm aware of the album. I am part of the band too. And as far as the whole wedding thing, I understand you are taking a load off me, and I'm so grateful, but I'm still dealing with those details! And the reason I've been spending more time with Emily is because you're married now! You need to spend time with your husband. Mitchie, I distanced myself because that's what happens when you get married. Your spouse is your best friend now," Caitlyn said. I felt guilt bubbling in the pit of my stomach.

"Caitlyn...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to totally let it all out on you," I said. I saw her anger diminish as we both let out what had been plaguing our minds.

"Mitchie, you can always unload on me. Just...don't assume I'm out to get you," Caitlyn said. I nodded. She wrapped her arms around me as tight as she could.

"Movie night?" Caitlyn said.

"Just us?" I asked. She nodded. I smiled and nodded.

"Call your husband and tell him that you were just homesick. I'll pick out the movie," Caitlyn said. I nodded and walked to mine and Shane's room. I scrolled through my contacts until I got to Shane's number and pressed talk. I listened to the phone ring.

"Tell me you're not dying," Shane said as soon as he answered his phone.

"That's it? No ' Hey baby, how are you feeling?' Just am I dying or not?" I asked.

"Oh right. Sorry. Hey baby, how are you feeling? Are you dying?" Shane asked. I chuckled lightly at his odd concern.

"No, I'm not dying. Turns out I was just a bit homesick," I said, feeling bad that I was lying to him.

"Really? Well, does that mean there's a chance that you'll rejoin us sometime soon?" Shane asked. I sighed.

"Actually Shane, now that I'm home I think I'm gonna stay here and get things settled with my album. I'm thinking that I'm gonna take a bit of time off from the spotlight after this one," I said.

"Really? Why?" Shane asked.

"I think I just need a break. This past year has been nonstop and I think I just need a break. I don't need to turn into a diva like someone else did," I teased.

"Well then," Shane scoffed playfully. We both laughed lightly.

"I love you Mitchie," Shane said.

"I love you too, Shane," I said. We talked for a few more minutes before Caitlyn came in declaring it was movie time and I had to surrender my phone. We ended up watching a bunch of Nicholas Sparks movies for the rest of the night.

* * *

**Yeah, this was kinda short, but it had mucho importante informacion! :) **

**Okay, so I've been terrified about writing this story because I've been on my own for the most part and maybe it just really sucks and that's why nobody is really replying, but I know that the traffic stats say that you are reading and I know that this fandom is dying down a bit, but I was actually kind of heart broken at the fact that there were only two reviews, even though the traffic stats say that about 90 people actually visited the story. So if you guys hate it, please tell me so I can fix it. Otherwise leave a review like these cool muthafuckas:**

**fireworks1820 and XxDiamondJAInTheRoughxX **

**So anyways, it would mean a lot if you guys left a review telling me your opinion, even if you hate it. Just let me know. **

**Alright, moving on, can anybody guess what song inspired this chapter? Take a shot in the dark. **

**I'm hoping to get at _least _4 reviews. I know about 5 people favorited and followed this story, so even if only you guys leave a review, can you just tell me what you think? Thank you!**

**Love you guys!**

**-T**

_*Disclaimer: We, BubblegumPenguins, do not own Camp Rock or any of Demi Lovato's Songs*_


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone, it's Wednesday! I just want to take a second to thank you for all the amazing reviews! You all made me cry with your words about how good this story was. So this last Saturday, I fell down some stairs and totally messed up my right ankle_. _So I'm stuck in a chair, meaning that I haven't been able to get my computer. But today, my sister let me use her laptop so I can update this story for you guys! So here it is, chapter 3 of Stop the World!  
**

* * *

"I can't do a tour," I announced as I entered the conference room. I turned and saw Uncle Brown, Josh, Paul, and Amanda's faces all expressing one of shock.

"Hello to you too, Mitchie," Paul said, clearly amused by my bluntness. I waved sheepishly to them all.

"Mitchie...it would be in your best interest to do a tour," my boss said slowly. We all knew that I was one of Josh's favorite artists, but there was almost no way he would let me get away with this without explanation.

"I understand that, but...with Caitlyn getting married and my band members have expressed wanting to work on other projects, we felt like it would be healthy to take a break," I said, not wanting to give away my news.

"And you wouldn't be able to do that after a tour wrapped up?" Amanda asked. I could tell she was bummed about not being able to choreograph a new tour of mine. I hated to brag, but my concerts were like a dance party. Every song, whether they be a ballad or something you would hear in a club, there was always dancing. I had been wanting to have a bit of a circus theme this time, but that was not going to happen with a growing belly.

"No, it wouldn't be wise to put this off," I said cryptically. I needed to stop that. I was not good at lying anymore. Everyone saw through my avoidance.

"Mitchie, are there more personal reasons? We saw the headlines about your blow up the other day," Paul said. I sighed. They were concerned about my mental health. The last thing I wanted was for them to send me to some treatment center. I had never come out with my issues, and I had stayed true to the promise that I made Shane. I never intentionally cut myself. That didn't mean there weren't other things though.

With the chaos of the past year, I would be lying if I said that I'd never gone multiple days without just got so dark for me. There were days were I would just sit there holding a blade or a bottle of sleeping pills. But the last thing I wanted was for Shane to become a widower. I loved him too much for that.

"That has a bit too do with it," I said softly. I wasn't going to be able to keep this from them. I wanted Shane to know first, but I needed to tell them. I could trust them to not peep. Well, I could see Paul and Amanda keeping mum. Josh and Uncle Brown will probably grin at Shane constantly until he tells them that he knows.

"What's going on Mitchie? If you need anything, we're here to help. We just have to know what you need," Josh said. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face at his concern. I rested my hands on my stomach. I watched everybody's eyes light up and smiles crossed their faces.

"Congrats Mitchie!" Amanda exclaimed before everybody followed suit.

"Does Shane know?" Uncle Brown asked. I shook my head.

"Not yet. I'm waiting to tell him in person. You guys are the first ones I've told," I said.

"How far along are you?" Josh asked.

"About five weeks," I answered.

"When are you planning on telling Shane?" Amanda asked.

"Either as soon as he gets home from the tour or I'll go surprise him for the last show," I said.

"When are you planning on telling the rest of the world?" Paul asked. I paused for a second. When would I tell the rest of the world. I shrugged.

"Shane and I will have to come up with that answer together," I said.

"I'm so happy for you Poppet!" Brown said, pulling me into a hug. I hugged him back.

"I think that you should surprise Shane on the last show of the tour. I mean, how psyched would he be that you're back! And then add your news onto that? He'd be so excited!" Amanda suggested. This was my favorite thing about these four. They all helped with my career, but they were more than that. They were extended family. We could talk about _anything_.

"Yeah, but I'm sure once you tell him that you are having a baby, he's going to want to 'celebrate' with you," Josh said. See. _Anything._ I blushed lightly. I couldn't believe that my boss was talking about this. But it was probably true.

"So Caitlyn doesn't even know yet?" Brown asked. I shook my head.

"She's gonna be pissed off," Paul said.

"No, she's going to understand," I said.

"No, I don't think she is going to," Amanda said.

"Mitchie, you have no secrets from each other. Now you're hiding your biggest secret from her," Josh said.

"She'll understand. Trust me," I said, dropping the subject, but in the back of my mind, it brought up a handful of hesitations. I mean, Caitlyn was my best friend. She wouldn't really be mad at me. She'd understand. I mean, that's what being a friend is all about. Being there through the highs and the lows and working everything out. Although, Caitlyn and I were notorious for blowing up at each other.

How would keeping this information from Caitlyn going to affect us?

* * *

"Hey Caity. I've got a question for you," I said over lunch the next day.

"Alright. Shoot," she said.

"Well, are you and Nate planning on having kids?" I asked.

"Well yeah. But not until after things slow down for Connect 3. I wouldn't want them to slow down just because Nate is caught up with a baby. There was a reason I got an abortion when I first got pregnant. When it comes to having babies in the celebrity world, timing is key," Caitlyn said. I sighed.

"Well, what would you do if a condom broke? Or if you guys just get caught up in the moment and don't stop like you did when we were younger? What would you do then?" I asked.

"Well…to be honest, I didn't think about that. I guess I just kind of figured that I've already made that mistake, I wouldn't be stupid enough to make it again," Caitlyn said. I sighed.

"Would you have another abortion?" I asked. She shook her head.

"No. It was traumatizing the first time. The last thing I would want is to go through that again. I wouldn't wish that upon my greatest enemy. Having an abortion…the physical thing you can eventually get past that, but the emotions that come with it? I wasn't ready for it to be so…sad. I had thought about it and I knew it was for the best, but there are still some nights that I stay up wondering how my life would be if I hadn't aborted him," Caitlyn said.

"Him?" I asked.

"I had a dream not long before I found out I was pregnant of me holding a baby boy. I guess I don't know if it was really was a boy, but I refer to it as a him now," Caitlyn said. I bit my lip lightly. Caitlyn had told me first when she was pregnant. She hadn't even told Nate until it was no longer an issue. Would she resent me for not telling her?

"Would you tell me if you were? Even if you _did _plan on aborting it?" I asked. She nodded.

"Of course! I know that you would tell me, so why wouldn't I tell you?" she asked rhetorically. I felt a pit of guilt bubbling in my gut. It made me feel unpleasantly queasy.

"Would you tell me before Nate again?" I asked. She paused for a minute, seeming to really consider it.

"I don't know. If I wanted to abort it, possibly. If I were to tell Nate, he would try to convince me to keep it. But if it was the right time and I was planning on keeping it? Then no. Nate would deserve to know about it before anybody else," Caitlyn said. I felt a huge weight get lifted from my shoulders. I was so relieved to know that she thought the same way as I did.

"Why are you suddenly asking me about babies? Are you and Shane thinking about starting a family?" she asked.

"Caitlyn, we've been thinking about our future family since we first got together," I said truthfully. I remembered the nights staying up with Shane, talking about our future children. He wanted a boy and then a girl. He was very adamant with wanting a son first so he could be assured that if something were to ever happen to him, there would be somebody to be the man of the house and watch over his sister and mom.

"Yeah, but are you guys trying? Because Nate is not going to be pleased if you guys are trying, or planning on trying, without informing everybody," Caitlyn said. I groaned.

"Growing up, I never thought that I would have to plan my pregnancy around the lives of my in-laws," I said. We both chuckled at that.

"It's the price of fame, Mitch," Caitlyn said, "But really, are you and Shane trying?"

"We're not trying. It's more of a let go and let God kind of thing. Que sera, sera," I said.

"Mitchie, I don't speak Spanish. Kay serwho, say what?" Caitlyn said. I chuckled.

"Que sera, sera. What will be, will be," I said.

"Oh! I like that!" she said. I smiled.

"Alright, I'm done. Ready to get out of here?" I asked, looking at our empty plates.

"Yep. You up to going with me for my last dress fitting before the wedding?" she asked as we began standing.

"Sure! I wanna see how pretty my sissy is gonna look!"

* * *

"Caitlyn...I can't even...you're so gorgeous!" I said. Caitlyn smiled shyly at me.

"Oh please. I'm nothing special," she said quietly. Since when was Caitlyn _shy_?

"Caity, have you looked at yourself? You look gorgeous!" I said, easing her self consciousness. She glanced in the mirror and smiled. She turned back to me.

"How do you do that?" she asked. I scrunched my eyebrows together.

"Do what?" I asked.

"Take my worries and throw them out the window for me," she said. I smiled gently.

"It's what friends do. They help you find the beauty you are," I said, standing up and twirling my finger, telling her to spin.

"I guess that's what they mean by the gift of having a friend," Caitlyn said. I nodded and looked at her in the mirror. She looked shocked at her own image. I was thrilled for her.

"I can't believe this is really happening," she said softly. The dress was really a simple white sundress since they're getting married on a beach, but since it was custom-made, Caitlyn was able to design it however she wanted. She had little diamond-like beads on one of the sides in the shape of an orchid. I couldn't believe that Caitlyn was getting married.

"It's so beautiful Caitlyn. Nate isn't going to realize what hit him. You're going to stun everybody," I said softly.

"And it was all under $500!" Caitlyn exclaimed excitedly. I laughed at her. She was a frugal little Froot Loop. I smiled and pulled out my phone.

"Strike a pose! I need to send this to Emily who was too lame to come with us," I said. Caitlyn jumped up, throwing her arms in the air. I snapped a picture and looked at it. Perfect timing. I caught her jumping in her wedding dress. I'd have to save this picture. Caitlyn came over to me and I turned the camera towards us both and snapped a picture.

"Perfect! Now I need to post that on Twitter!" I exclaimed.

"Just don't accidentally post my wedding dress picture, or I promise that I'll hunt you down," Caitlyn said as she disappeared into the dressing room. I nodded and posted the picture of her and I on my Twitter.

"Alright, I think it's time to head back home," Caitlyn said, coming back out of the dressing room in her normal clothes.

"Agreed!"

* * *

**Alright! There we have it! Chapter 3 is now checked off the list! **

**Alright, now all you cool muthafuckas! I just picked 5 random reviewers from my inbox, so if you didn't show up, please don't be sad!  
**

**Sarcastic Nightmare (love your username!) I feel kind of bad, because it's a 50 chapter story, and they aren't many short chapters, but thank you so much for taking the time to go re-read it! **

**Andy95S **** Oh you! :D Thank you so much for reading! I love knowing that people from multiple countries are reading my stories! **

**Beblobs**** It's definitely weird writing Emily in a "better" light. And maybe it's right for you to have some resentment. It's only natural. I think you'll really like the next chapter. It addresses her seemingly sudden change ;) **

**PanicUnloaded16****Well thank you so much for looking past the skepticism and reading! It means more than I can even describe! **

**Sally3083 ****I would _never _abandon this story. Even if it was a sinking ship (which I thought it was going to be) I would have finished it. I've only once abandoned a story and it was the worst feeling ever to know that I had totally screwed those readers over. But this story is my only current fanfiction and I intend to see it to the end **

**Thank you all for leaving reviews! I think I'm going to keep up with this "cool muthafuckas" thing. Blame Shane Dawson from YouTube. He's been inspiring a lot from me recently. But it's always nice to be able to consider yourself a "cool muthafucka" right? **

**Alright, can anyone guess what Demi Lovato song this chapter was inspired by? The last chapter was Quiet, which was guessed correctly by V.A and Twilight girl for life and BrighterRocky! The song really didn't mesh well with the chapter, so good job you guys! My favorite part of the last chapter was the silence in the car, and I could just imagine Demi Lovato singing, "It's much too quiet in here. I wanna disappear! I'm hearing myself thinking too clear!" It was tough. I applaud anyone who even tried! **

**Alright, so take a whack at the song. Clues are hidden in the chapter. And do you think you guys could get this story up to 25 total reviews? I trust that you guys can! **

**Okay, I love you guys!**

**-T**


	4. Chapter 4

It had been a little less than a month since Caitlyn, Emily, and I came back home because I was sick. I've been pregnant for about nine weeks now. I was showing a little, but it was barely noticeable. I was opting for dresses over jeans and a t-shirt now because my jeans were getting a little snug, but otherwise I'd been fine. Nobody suspected a thing. Not the media, not the fans, and more importantly, not Caitlyn.

I missed Shane. I missed him more than words could explain. I knew that Caitlyn missed Nate a lot too. But despite the fact that Shane was my husband and Nate was Caitlyn's fiance, nobody seemed to be in more pain than Emily. Caitlyn and I learned that Jason was the Yin to Emily's Yang. He balanced her out and without him here, Emily acted like she was constantly on her period, forcing Caitlyn and I to walk on eggshells around her. And that's when Caitlyn and I decided to give her a reality check.

"You've been bitch. What the fuck is going on?" Caitlyn asked as Emily opened the door to her apartment. I learned over and smacked her arm.

"What she means is...You've been a bit testy recently and we don't like having to walk on eggshells with you," I said, glaring at Caitlyn.

"I've been testy?" Emily asked, her voice dangerously low. I wasn't sure about Emily, but that was my "I'm going to explode" voice.

"I've been testy?" she asked, her voice escalating. I winced slightly. Definitely her "I'm going to explode" voice.

"Maybe I've been testy because I've been away from Jason for almost a month and...and..." and that was all it took to break her bitchy barrier. She crumpled into her couch and began crying uncontrollably. Caitlyn and I immediately began consoling her, but it was just one of those crying sessions that needed to pass. When her tears slow down and her sobs became hiccups, we pulled ourselves away and looked at her to give us an explanation.

"I'm not right for Jason," she said suddenly.

"What? Are you insane?" Caitlyn asked.

"Look, he is just...he is so sweet and...and I'm the girl who almost ruined Connect 3," she explained.

"No, you didn't. Well...you didn't help, but it wasn't all you Em," I said.

"I'm just...it's like...sometimes I wonder why he even loves me. And when we aren't together, I begin to doubt us even more. I don't doubt his love for me...I'm just scared for the day he starts to doubt my love for him," she explained. I sighed and scooted closer to her. She rested her head on my shoulder.

"Look Em...I've known Jason for awhile...and not once have I ever heard him doubt anybody's love. Even mine," I said.

"Really?" Emily asked. I nodded.

Really," I said.

"Yeah, Jason is just one of those people. He doesn't care about your past or future. He lives in the moment and he takes you as you are right now. And Emily, you've been a really great friend and girlfriend lately," Caitlyn said.

"I haven't been a very good girlfriend lately," Emily admitted quietly. I felt my heart fall.

"Em...Em you didn't," I said quietly. She shook her head. I sighed in relief.

"I didn't, but I almost did. A few nights ago at the after party Alabaster Carnation had after their concert. There was this guy and he was just...there. And we talked and we flirted and had a few drinks, but then he started touching me and I just thought about Jason's face if he were to see what was happening. I got out of there as fast as I could, but...what if I hadn't left? I would have cheated on Jason. _Jason_! Sweet, innocent Jason who doesn't think the worst of anybody," Emily said through teary eyes. I felt bad that Caitlyn and I had been avoiding her the past few days now. She needed to get this off her chest and we'd been avoiding her. I felt like a bad friend now.

"I think it's time," I said, standing up.

"Time for what?" Caitlyn asked, her arms still wrapped around Emily who was finally calming down.

"It's time for us to go see our men," I said, a playful twinkle in my eyes. I saw Emily and Caitlyn's eyes light up excitedly.

"Really? You sure?" Emily asked. I nodded.

"I've been selfish, keeping you guys here when you really wanted to go back as soon as we found out I wasn't dying. I should have let you guys go back without whining about how you guys weren't being good friends. I'm sorry," I said gently. Caitlyn shrugged.

"We'll live. But you're serious about going back?" Emily asked.

"Of course. It's their last show of this tour. I think we should make it memorable," I said.

"How are we going to do that?" Caitlyn asked. I shrugged.

"We'll think of something on the plane ride, trust me. But do you guys want to?" I asked.

"That's a stupid question. Of course!" Emily said. I smiled lightly at her excitement.

"Alright ladies. Let's pack our bags. I'll call Big Bob. We're going back!"

* * *

"Guess who's back, back, back, back again! Bitches are back, back, back, tell your friends!" Caitlyn kept singing as we walked across the parking lot from our taxi to the venue where the guys were playing for their final tour. Of course, I hadn't told Caitlyn or Emily my ulterior motive for coming back, but they wouldn't care considering it meant that they would be able to see Nate and Jason. I was pretty excited to see Shane, but I was more nervous about telling him that I was going to be having his child. It wasn't that I was scared that he wouldn't be happy or that he wouldn't step up, it was more that I was going to be telling Shane that our lives were about to change. We were about to be responsible for another human being for the next 18 years, and even then, it didn't end after that. This was permanent.

"Hello ladies! Nice to see you again," one of the stagehands said as we came in. We greeted everybody we knew and were directed to the dressing rooms of the guys. I parted ways from the girls and knocked on Shane's dressing room door.

"I'm not decent!" I heard Shane call from the other side of the door. I opened it up and peeked inside. Shane was playing some Xbox game in his boxers and an undershirt. I smirked lightly.

I silently slipped off my flip-flops and padded my way over to him. I closed his eyes and placed three kisses down his neck. I chuckled as he jumped. He looked at me and I watched his features light up.

"Mitchie!" he exclaimed as he picked me up and spun me around. I laughed lightly, telling him to put me back on the floor. He set me back on the ground and hugged me tightly.

"I missed you so much," Shane said in my hair.

"I missed you too," I said.

"How are you feeling? Are you better?" he asked. I nodded.

"I'm great. Better than great actually! I have some news for you," I said.

"What is it?" he asked. I opened my mouth, but one of the stage hands call out the five minute warning. Shane looked at me, still expecting my answer.

"You need to get dressed. I'll tell you after," I said. Shane sighed and began dressing quickly. Once he threw his shirt on, he turned back to me.

"Tell me," he said.

"Shane, you have to get out on stage," I said.

"They can wait. You come first," Shane said. I smiled lightly.

"Just go. It can wait," I said. I pulled out a small card from my pocket and handed it to Shane. It was a card specifically for expecting fathers from their unborn child. He looked at me skeptically, but a stagehand came out of nowhere and rushed him to the side of the stage. I met up with Caitlyn and Emily and the guys were swept to the side of the stage. I grabbed both their hands as I saw Shane open the card.

They didn't know why I was holding their hands, but they must have been able to sense my nerves, because they both squeezed my hands. I watched Shane's jaw drop and he looked over to me, shock written in every feature of his face. I smiled and nodded. I watched as a beaming smile spread across his face. He was pulled onto stage by Nate and Jason.

"What did that card say?" Caitlyn asked as I watched Shane slip the card into his pocket.

"Something special."

* * *

The concert was wrapping up and to be honest, Shane was clearly distracted. He had mixed up lyrics, missed cues, and altogether forgot his part. I could see that the audience, although supportive, was a little miffed that Shane was messing up.

"Dude, what is with your husband?" Emily asked.

"He's just...distracted," I said. I had to admit that I was surprised he hadn't halted the concert and spilled the news. Knock on wood.

"Hey everybody, I know that my performance has been a little off," Shane said. A murmur of agreements came from the audience.

"I'm just a little distracted to have my beautiful wife back with me tonight," he said. I sighed in relief. I wasn't ready for everybody to know just yet.

"I want to dedicated this whole performance for her. She knows why I'm so crazy tonight," he said. I smiled lightly at him. They took a bit and left the stage. Shane ran over to me and picked me up, kissing me over and over.

"Shane, put me down," I said through my laughter. He reluctantly placed me back into the ground.

"How far along are you?" Shane asked.

"I'm almost nine weeks," I said. Shane was beaming.

"I can't believe it! I'm gonna be a dad," Shane said. I was so relieved to see he was so excited.

"Shane, I had to tell Brown and the team, but other than them, nobody else knows," I said.

"Not even Caitlyn?" Shane asked.

"I wouldn't have told anybody if I could help it," I said.

"I can't believe we're having a baby!" he said, beaming brighter than he ever had.

"I couldn't believe it at first either!" I said. He leaned in and kissed my forehead.

"What are you two smiling about over there?" Nate asked from a few feet away with Caitlyn.

"Just...life," Shane said.

"Mmhmm...I'm sure that's it," Caitlyn said, smirking at me. I rolled my eyes and leaned into Shane.

"I'm so glad to finally have you back here with me," Shane said.

"Even if I wasn't...you know...I think we would have come back. All three of us were going mad without you guys," I said honestly. Shane smirked.

"Really? For some reason, that doesn't surprise me," Shane said.

"Hey, I didn't have it the worst. That would have been Emily," I said. I saw her glare at me, but Caitlyn immediately began nodding in agreement.

"Emily was turning back into a bitch," Caitlyn said. Jason glanced at her.

"Why?" he asked. She glared at me and Caitlyn, but we knew that it was best that she tell Jason her concerns. Caitlyn and I decided to pull Nate and Shane away from them for their moment. They began giving us a replay of what happened every day since we left. I tried not to, but a couple times I picked up on the conversation Emily and Jason were having. I could tell that Emily was relieved to get it all off her chest, and Jason was happy that she was being so open with him, but I knew that he was a little hurt that she doubted him.

"Emily, look...my love for you is like the moon. You can't always see it during the day, but you know that it's going to be there at night. Just because we're not together doesn't mean that goes away," Jason said. I tore my attention back to Nate and Shane, but mentally filed away Jason's words. They were some of the most poetic words I'd ever heard him say. And I guess how love was for all of us.

It's always there.

* * *

**Bam! Chapter 4! It's coming a few days early, but I figured that nobody would really complain about it. Thank you for the get well wishes. My ankle is definitely sprained, for awhile I thought it was broken because it was so swollen for more than a week, I was nervous about it, but I'm able to bear a little bit of weight, but I've been using an orthopedic boot for the most part. **

**So everyone who guessed the song got it right, so that's Sally3083, idk, V.A. and Twilight girl for life, fireworks1820, and beblobs! I'm sure everyone would be able to get the song that inspired this one. I'd be shocked if nobody were to guess it. I feel like there should be some reward system for guessing correctly, but I can't think of a good reward. **

**Okay, so today I'm going to give you guys a short preview for next chapter. Hope you guys like it!**

"Where have you been?" I asked, my voice coming out a shaky whisper. I didn't know why, but he pulled me to him, his hands resting on my stomach. I inhaled his scent and to my horror, I smelt perfume on him. That knowledge brought on a whole new set of tears.

"Mitchie, please don't cry. I have so much to tell you. Please baby?" he begged. How could I not cry? I heard Shane sigh and began rocking me slightly, trying to comfort me. But I was inconsolable tonight. After an hour had passed, Shane finally gave up the rocking and humming and had decided to just sit with me. My tears were finally slowing down. I had to ask.

"Who were you with today?" I asked, pulling myself away. I think Shane was surprised that I was talking. Usually I would have passed out by now. And if I was honest, I was exhausted.

"What? I was with the guys," Shane said. I shook my head.

"Don't lie to me Shane. Just tell me the truth. I won't be mad. I just want to know," I said. I was trying to remain calm.

"Mitchie, what are you accusing me of?" Shane asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I can smell her perfume on you Shane. Who is she?" I asked.

**Dun dun dun! So what do you think is going on? Will Shane and Mitchie have happily ever after? Will Mitchie end up heartbroken again? Will BubblegumPenguins _ever _just give these two a break and let them enjoy their baby bliss? All will be answered on the next chapter of STOP THE WORLD! **

**-T**

**P.S. Sorry about that weird ending. I've been watching Pokemon where the endings are all like that. **


	5. Chapter 5

**So I think the consensus here is that nobody likes me after that preview that I gave you. People said "Why can't they have a happy life?" NverSayNver said "I think that [Shane] just went perfume shopping." A friend of mine read my story and said, and I quote, "You're a terrible person who can't let two people be happy." And I just have one thing to say in response to that...**

**Enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Romance was screwed between Shane and I.

If I was being completely honest with myself, I was _really_ hurt by the lack of affection. The only time he showed me any affection was in the morning when my stomach was emptying it's contents, and in the evening when my mood would always come crashing down. I usually spent my days with Emily and Caitlyn, who had just gotten back home from her and Nate's honeymoon, and I didn't want them to know about the sadness that was taking up my mind. If it had been up to me, I would have loved keeping it from Shane as well, but the night that he caught me sitting on the floor of the bathtub fully clothes while the shower was on was the dead give away that something was wrong.

I had been channel surfing while waiting for Shane to return from recording at the studio and I had come across a gossip show. The subject of criticism for the evening? Me and my weight gain. I told myself that I was pregnant and I was supposed to gain weight. I knew they didn't know, but it didn't stop it from hurting. I'd always been insecure about my weight, but it was the part of my life that I'd locked away in the back of the closet where only my parents and Caitlyn knew about it. Not even Shane knew the full extent of my problems.

The reports only increased after that. They'd began joking that I was "letting myself go" now that I had Shane. That I was getting "bottom heavy" and should consider skipping a few meals. As soon as that was said, I shut the television off. I don't know what possessed me to go take a shower with my clothes on, but Shane was pretty freaked out. He had climbed in and held onto me as I cried and cried. After that, I just began nightly crying sessions. Whether I was just really emotional or I was subconsciously looking for Shane's affection, I'm not sure. All I knew was that it was exhausting.

Now, every night, Shane and I would sit in bed, him holding me until I fell asleep from crying for so long. And that was the affection that I got from him. Maybe the fact that I was gaining weight put him off. Maybe it was my constant mood swings. Maybe it was just he was so busy. I didn't know what the deal was. All I knew was that it hurt me. But there was one thing that hurt me even more than the lack of affection.

Besides from the morning where he held my hair up and rubbed my back, and the night where he held me until I cried myself to sleep, he was never home. I didn't understand it, and I was heartbroken.

* * *

"Hey baby," Shane said as he walked in the door at 11:28 p.m. I had already started crying because of his absence. He glanced at me, but I looked away. I heard him walk over to me. He laid a hand on my shoulder, but I shrugged it off and scooted away from him.

"Mitch?" he asked. I still ignored him, wishing that my tears would just subside long enough to ask him where he was. He wouldn't cheat on me. Right? He did before, but he had changed, right?

"Baby, what's wrong? Tell me," he said as he sat down beside me. I still avoided him.

"Honey, please tell me," he whispered.

"Where have you been?" I asked, my voice coming out a shaky whisper. I didn't know why, but he pulled me to him, his hands resting on my stomach. I inhaled his scent and to my horror, I smelt perfume on him. That knowledge brought on a whole new set of tears.

"Mitchie, please don't cry. I have so much to tell you. Please baby?" he begged. How could I not cry? I heard Shane sigh and began rocking me slightly, trying to comfort me. But I was inconsolable tonight. After an hour had passed, Shane finally gave up the rocking and humming and had decided to just sit with me. My tears were finally slowing down. I had to ask.

"Who were you with today?" I asked, pulling myself away. I think Shane was surprised that I was talking. Usually I would have passed out by now. And if I was honest, I was exhausted.

"What? I was with the guys," Shane said. I shook my head.

"Don't lie to me Shane. Just tell me the truth. I won't be mad. I just want to know," I said. I was trying to remain calm.

"Mitchie, what are you accusing me of?" Shane asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I can smell her perfume on you Shane. Who is it?" I asked. Shane's eyes lit up in understand and before I knew it, he was laughing. That bastard was laughing! This wasn't funny. He had a wife now! If he really needed a physical release, I would have been more than willing! Pregnancy does that to you. I glared at him and crossed my arms.

"Never mind. I'm fucking pissed now. Who the hell is she?" I demanded. Shane tried to stop laughing, but he couldn't. I sat there for two minutes, watching him laugh. Finally, his laughing turned into just a chuckle here and there.

"You gonna tell me?" I sneered.

"You, Mitch," he said. My glare was replaced with confusion.

"What?" I asked.

"Mitchie, I was with the guys today. I wasn't lying about that. I just wasn't with them at the studio," he said. I nodded, still confused. He leaned against the arm rest on the couch and pulled me into his lap.

"Do you remember when we first got married, how we said we were going to buy a bigger house once we decided to have babies?" he asked. I nodded.

"Well I bought a place for us. It's out of the city, away from all the craziness of Hollywood, where we can get away for awhile. It's far enough for us to have our privacy, but still close enough for us to be close to our families," Shane said. I nodded, exhausted from all my crying. But the fact that Shane did this was warming my heart up. But something wasn't quite adding up.

"So...why do you smell like perfume?" I asked.

"Well, I was hoping that it could be a surprise for your birthday next month, so I didn't want you to know that's what I was doing. I was painting today and I knew that I smelled like paint, but I didn't want you asking why I smelt like paint. I thought I had grabbed my cologne this morning, but I found out in the garage that I grabbed your perfume," Shane explained. I sniffed again and sure enough, it was my favorite perfume that Caitlyn had bought me for Christmas. I pulled away, feeling foolish.

"I'm sorry Shane," I said quietly. He sighed and kissed my hand.

"I guess I can't say I didn't see that coming. Mitchie, I know that I have been a bit distant lately. Fixing up the new house has been brutal on me. But I shouldn't have let that take away from the time and love I give you," Shane said softly. I sighed and looked down.

"I should have just asked you what was going on. I'm sorry so much Shane," I said. He shook his head.

"Mitchie, you're not the only one who hears the rumors. I hear what they say. I'd have been surprised if you didn't hear about the cheating rumors," Shane said. But I hadn't.

"What cheating rumors?" I asked.

"You haven't heard about them?" he asked.

"I've been trying to keep away from the gossip stuff recently," I said honestly. Shane nodded in understanding.

"Someone caught me, Jason, Nate, Caitlyn, and Emily all working on the house the other day. Well, whatever picture they got, either they cropped the others out or waited until it was just Em and I, but there was a rumor that we were together again, cheating on you and Jason," Shane explained. I nodded in understanding. I knew Emily would never cheat on Jason, and while I had a few fears, for the most part, I was sure Shane wouldn't cheat on me again.

"I'm sorry I keep thinking the worst. I just keep thinking that you're going to stop putting up with my insane mood swings and irrational fears and find someone else," I said, confessing my extreme fears.

"Mitchie, I love you more than words can explain. I will never _not _put up the insane mood swings and irrational fears. I made a vow Mitchie. Until death do we part, remember?" he said. I nodded.

"I meant that Mitchie. You're my everything," he said softly. I nodded.

"Are you...are you going to work on the new house tomorrow?" I asked. Shane shook his head.

"Of course not. I didn't forget that your ultrasound is tomorrow. I want to see my son or daughter," Shane said. I smiled.

"What if it's both?" I asked jokingly. I watched Shane's face pale slightly. He got down on his knees on the floor and held my waist.

"If there are two of you in there, I just want you to know that even though mama and daddy love you both very much, that's going to be an awful lot of stress. So if there are two of you, please be easy on mommy?" Shane said to my stomach. I smiled lightly.

"Shane, I'm fairly certain if there were two, I'd be bigger," I said.

"Oh thank God. I'm all for having one, but two right now might kill us," Shane said honestly. I nodded in agreement. It would be chaotic, but even if there were two, we'd love them both.

"Come on baby. It's time to go to bed," Shane said, standing up, holding his hand out to me.

This was my favorite thing about Shane. He was my rock. Suddenly all my concerns about what the media had to say, at least for the time being, vanished. Screw what they all said. Shane and I would leave sand behind for them to all choke on. Anyone can say whatever they want about us. The words that they try to break us down with will only make us stronger.

I took his hand and allowed him to guide me to our bedroom where we showed each other just how much love we had for each other.

* * *

**Tada! You guys have no faith in me. That being said, if there was no conflict, there would be only a very boring story. Just keep that in mind later on in the story. I have little to no energy right now. My sister had a couple friends over last night so I was up with them doing a bunch of things that we're all legally able to do now that we're all 18+ so that was fun, but I did not anticipate feeling so laggy. Is laggy even a word, or did I make it up? My point is, we were up well in to the wee hours of the morning and my head is all foggy. **

**Alright, all of you who reviewed last chapter are cool muthafuckas! Is that offensive to anyone? Should I figure out a new phrase for that? Once again, everyone who guessed the song guessed correctly. It was My Love is Like a Star by Demi Lovato. Alright, the song that inspired this chapter isn't as well known as other songs of Demi's, but it's a good song. **

**Alright, I think I'm about to pass out, so I'm gonna go take a nap and ice my ankle which is healing up nicely, but slowly. I'm doomed to never wear high heels. Love you guys!  
**

**-T**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm aware that this chapter is a bit late, but I have news! I don't know if it's good news or bad news for you guys. But it's amazing news for me! I got a job! *Crowd begins cheering***

**That being said, there's more information at the end of this chapter regarding updates and this story. So I'll just let you read now and you can choose whether or not to read it! :)**

* * *

"I have to pee," I whispered to Shane as we waited patiently for Dr. Frey to come in and show us our baby.

"What? Mitchie!" Shane exclaimed. I laughed lightly and shrugged.

"I'm sorry. I'm pregnant. I can't exactly plan when I'm going to need to go," I said, smiling at Shane's reaction.

"You can't hold it a little longer?" he asked me. I could tell he was nervous.

"Yeah, I can hold it. Just relax Shane," I said softly.

"How far along are you again? Twelve? Thirteen weeks?" Shane asked, changing the subject.

"I'm twelve weeks along," I said.

"So do you think they'll be able to tell the sex yet?" he asked. I shrugged.

"I'm not sure. We can ask when Dr. Frey comes in," I said. He nodded.

"Which would you rather have?" I asked.

"It doesn't matter. As long as they have ten fingers and ten toes, I'll be happy," Shane said.

"What if they have an extra finger, or are missing their pinky toe?" I asked softly. I saw Shane look at me nervously.

"Can that happen?" he asked. I shrugged.

"I don't know. I'm just asking," I said.

"Then...I'll still love them," he said. I smiled.

"So really, which would you rather? Boy or girl?" I asked.

"Well, to be honest, I always dreamed of having a son first and a daughter second," he said.

"So you want this one to be a boy?" I asked.

"Yeah, but if it's a girl, that would be great too," Shane said.

"What if is twins?" I asked, thinking back to our conversation the night before. Shane opened his mouth to reply, but the door opened, revealing a small, dark skinned woman wearing a white lab coat and a stethoscope around her neck. My heartbeat increased.

"Um, where's Dr. Frey?" I asked before she could formally greet us. She smiled kindly.

"Dr. Frey took a personal day. Her daughter is home with the flu, so she had to take the day off. But I promise that Dr. Frey informed me of your request to keep everything private. I was told that you have a small problem with new doctors, but I promise that I'm as harmless as they come. I am Dr. Michaels. I am part of the team that Dr. Frey has assembled for your family. I am a pediatrician, so it was Dr. Frey's initial plan to recommend you to me as your son or daughter's doctor," she explained. I sat there, hesitant to let this stranger close to me. But if Dr. Frey recommended her...

"Alright," I said, laying back. Dr. Michaels smiled and instructed Shane to sit by my head and face the monitor. I lifted my shirt up and looked at my swollen stomach. Shane kissed my temple as we looked down at where our child was growing.

"In another eight weeks, I'm going to be a balloon," I whispered. Shane chuckled.

"But you'll be a sexy balloon," he said softly.

"There's no such thing as a sexy balloon," I countered.

"Just watch. You'll make it happen," Shane said. I rolled my eyes and turned my attention to the monitor as Dr. Michaels put some gel on my stomach. She flipped the machine on and placed the wand on my stomach. She began moving it around and I couldn't help but giggle. Shane and Dr. Michaels both looked at me.

"It tickles," I said quietly. They both smiled and turned their attention back to the monitor.

"There we are! There is your son or daughter," Dr. Michaels declared. My smile widened as I looked at the outline of my baby.

"Can we tell the sex yet?" Shane asked.

"Not yet. Probably in a few weeks when you come in for your next appointment, we'd be able to tell the gender," Dr. Michaels said. Shane nodded and turned his attention back to the monitor.

"Is everything good?" I asked. Dr. Michaels nodded.

"Your baby is developing perfectly. You've made it to twelve weeks without any problems, so if you haven't already, this would be the perfect time to let the public know you're having a baby. Everything is going very well. So far, so good," Dr. Michaels said. I smiled brightly. So far, so good.

* * *

"So we have gathered you all here because we have an announcement to make," I said, looking at my whole family around the table. My parents, Shane's parents, Uncle Brown, Patrick, Dani, Jason, Emily, Nate, Caitlyn, Trevor, Jenna, Jasmine, Joey, Josh, and David. They were all my family and I was excited to tell them our news. I wore a dress that was somehow able to hide my ever growing baby bump. How I had been able to keep it from everyone for so long amazed me, but I was grateful.

"What's your news Mimi?" my now six year old little sister asked me. I glanced at Shane who stood up and pulled me up with him.

"Well you guys, we've kept it from you for as long as we can, and admittedly I didn't know about it most of the time," Shane said, glancing at me, forcing a light blush to cross my face, "But we are excited to finally tell you all..."

I felt Shane wrap his arms around me and rest his hands on my stomach. I saw Uncle Brown smile at the gesture, while everyone's expressions lit up in delight.

"Mija?" Mom asked, a smile spreading across her face.

"What is it?" Trevor asked.

"Yeah! What's going on?" Dani asked. I grinned wider.

"We're having a baby!" I exclaimed. Denise and Mom both let out excited squeals. Suddenly both genders parted and pulled Shane and I away from each other. I could hear all the men congratulating Shane and patting him on the back. All of the women were pulling me into hugs, telling me how excited they were for me. They all began asking me if I'd had any strange cravings. Apparently when Denise was pregnant with Shane she had a nonstop craving for pickles and when Mom was pregnant with me, she had cravings for anything with lots of sugar. That totally explained my ADHD.

"No, I haven't had any odd food cravings. Just the regular stuff like spaghetti, steak, ice cream," I said.

"So _that's _why you were drilling me about how I would handle it!" Caitlyn exclaimed. I nodded.

"I wanted to tell you, but Shane needed to know about it first. Are you mad?" I asked. She pulled me into a tight hug.

"How could I be mad at you? You're having my niece or nephew!" Caitlyn exclaimed.

"Are you having a boy or a girl?" asked Dani.

"We don't know yet. We won't find that out until next time," I said. Dani nodded.

"What if it's twins?" Caitlyn said. I shook my head.

"It's not. Trust me here," I said.

"I'm so happy for you mija," Mom said, pulling me into a bone crushing hug, being mindful of my protruding stomach.

"So now it's time for a press conference?" Nate asked me from the guys' group. I glanced at Shane who nodded.

"Yeah. It's time," I said, ready to face everybody who had been calling me fat.

* * *

"Mitchie Torres! How are you darling?" a voice called from behind me. I turned around and saw my favorite television host with his arms open wide. Josh Parvarni.

"Josh!" I exclaimed, hugging him. I was so relieved that we were going to be breaking the pregnancy news on Josh's show. I knew I could trust Josh.

"And Shane! Please tell me that you have been good to this woman," Josh said.

"I've been showering her with as much love and affection as I possibly can," Shane said. It was true. Since I asked him about cheating on me a couple weeks ago, Shane had been showering me with as much affection as he could. That still didn't stop the tears some nights, but it definitely helped.

"So I have a few questions that I'm going to ask you regarding the cheating rumors and your weight gain, Mitchie. Is that going to be alright?" he asked. We both nodded. These things needed to be addressed.

"Yeah, and then we've got our own announcement," Shane said. Josh nodded and we chatted for a little bit before Josh was called away to open the show. I turned to Shane.

"Do you think we should have waited?" I asked. Shane shook his head.

"No. I think this is the right time. Do _you _think we should have waited?" he asked. I bit my lip lightly.

"I don't know. I keep telling myself that this is fine, but...I don't know," I said.

"Do you want to save the announcement?" he asked. I shook my head.

"No. But I don't want the paparazzi to totally hound us once we have the baby," I said softly.

"Don't forget that we'll be in a new house at an undisclosed location," Shane said. I nodded and relaxed. It was going to be fine.

"Mitchie Torres and Shane Gray!" we heard Josh call out. Shane took my hand and we both walked out in front of the applauding audience. We sat down on the couch and looked at Josh.

"So how are you two?" he asked.

"Amazing!" I said, smiling.

"Never been better," Shane said.

"Well that's good! You guys have been married for a little more than a year now, so what's it like?" Josh asked.

"We have been through a lot of ups and a few downs and I think that it's just made us stronger than ever," Shane said.

"So...we'll just get into it. Shane, there have been some rumors that you have not been faithful to Mitchie," Josh said.

"In the pictures, Emily Fletcher and I were out shopping at a furniture store. If you're cheating, you're not going to go out into public, looking at furniture with them. Also, what those pictures don't show is that a few feet away are my brothers and sister-in-law," Shane said. I nodded.

"I think just about everyone knows about Shane and I, and our past history with each other. It's been rocky, yes, but we both have grown up so much to think that either one of us would make a commitment like marriage and not uphold that belief is absolutely ludicrous," I said matter of factly.

"Shane, what were you guys furniture shopping for?" Josh asked.

"We're redecorating some of our rooms and I wasn't available to help pick out the furniture, but I knew that Emily and Caitlyn would know what I like," I said. Sneaky Josh, trying to get us to spill information.

"Well I'm glad you are staying true to your marriage vow," Josh said.

"Until death do us part," Shane said, kissing my hand, making a few audience members let out an "aww."

"So now, Mitchie Torres. There have been some rumors bouncing around Hollywood that you're gaining some weight," Josh said. I nodded.

"How do you react to these comments?" he asked.

"You know, I hear them and I'm not going to lie, they really do hurt me. When I first started hearing those comments, I was a mess and I felt like I was doing something wrong, even though in my head, I know I'm just fine. I've got a history of depression and anxiety, and when I hear those comments, I get low, but I know that it comes with the territory. If you gain weight and you don't have a reason, then people get vicious," I said honestly.

"What are the comments that affect you the most?" he asked.

"The ones where they take my 'weight gain' and Shane's 'Cheating' and mash them together. Like one where Shane is cheating on me _because _of my weight gain. That one hurts the most. Because even though I know Shane would never leave me over something that trivial, it still hurts," I said. Josh nodded.

"And there's actually a perfectly good reason why you're gaining weight, isn't there?" Josh said, winking. I couldn't stop the smile growing on my face. I glanced at Shane who was smiling too.

"So what is it Mitchie? You gaining weight for a big role or something?" Josh pried.

"Or something," Shane said quietly.

"Oh really?" Josh said.

"I am gaining weight for a big role. In fact, I think it's the biggest role I'm ever going to have," I said.

"And what's that?" Josh asked. I smiled to the audience who was all quiet and prepared to react to my news.

"I'm going to be a mom!" I exclaimed. The audience began screaming and cheering out of excitement. The rest of the show was a blur. Josh congratulated us and brought out some gifts for Shane and I (specifically for our baby) and wished us luck.

So far, everything was great.

* * *

**Boom! Chapter 6, CHECK! There you guys have it! Everything is great so far! Like usual, if you can guess what song inspired this chapter, then you get major brownie points! Congratulations to BrighterRocky for being the only one who was able to guess the song last chapter! The song was Stronger by Demi Lovato! :) **

**Now on to the important news. Yes, I finally got a job after almost 7 months of being unemployed and it's great to know that I'll be making some money! Here's the bad part. You see, I start on the 22nd and I'm not sure what my hours are going to look like, but I'll probably be taking as many hours as I can get since it's only a temporary job. That sadly means less time for writing, and I cannot promise how often this story will be updated! :(  
**

**That being said, this story WILL NOT be abandoned! It'll probably just take me longer to run through the story for any errors and polish it up. **

_**That**_**being said, this chapter marks a huge turning point. Not in the story, but in the production of the story. This is chapter 6 out of 12 chapters. Meaning that this is the halfway mark for the story. There will be five more chapters and then an epilogue which I'm in the process of writing. So this story is going to be nothing like _Speak Now _as far as length goes. 11 chapters and an epilogue. So I'm happy that we got to this point, but I'm sad because in a blink of an eye, it'll be over.  
**

**But let's not think about that! Let's think about next chapter, where Shane does something so shocking, so stunning, so _unbelievable_...that I can't even tell you about it. Because it's _that _shocking, stunning, and unbelievable! Is it something good or bad? Let me hear what you think! If you guys can get me up to more than fifty reviews, I will update before the weekend is over!  
**

**-T**


	7. Chapter 7

**Where do I begin? Let's start with this. I'm _so sorry _that I told you guys that I would update before the weekend was over and then here it is, Tuesday, and I'm sure you guys are wondering what Shane does that is so shocking. I'm sorry you guys. My sister got me sick. And I'm not talking just a simple cold. I'm talking, can't hold anything down, can't stand up without getting dizzy, my throat feels like sandpaper, sinus infection kind of sick. It's extremely frustrating and I couldn't look at a screen for more than 5 minutes without getting dizzy, which is why this was delayed. I'm sorry you guys :( **

**So to make it up to you, I present to you the longest chapter ever! Enjoy :)**

* * *

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Caitlyn said. I watched as my stylist and make up artist worked their magic on my best friend.

"You're going to be amazing Caitlyn," I said, rubbing my stomach gently.

"Mitchie, in all of the music videos we've done, I have _never _been in the front, having the cameras pointed at me," Caitlyn said.

"Caity, you need to relax. All you're going to do is mouth the words that you've already recorded. You're going to do great!" I said. I could understand Caitlyn's nerves though. The first professional music video I did for my first single had been pretty nerve wracking. But this would be good for Caitlyn. Nate and her had written it on their honeymoon, reminiscing about their days at Camp Rock, before Connect 3 blew up. It really was a good song. Caitlyn and Nate had both insisted that Shane and I perform it in public, but since Shane and I were the main vocals in our groups and had already written songs together, we agreed that this song should just be for Nate and Caitlyn.

"Mitchie, what if I mess up?" Caitlyn asked.

"Cait, how would you possibly mess up?" I asked. I thought back to the set. It was literally a white box. White walls, white background, white floor. All Nate and Caitlyn were supposed to do was be themselves and let the director tell them what to do.

"I could trip and ruin everything," Caitlyn said.

"Cait, that's something I would do. Just do what the director tells you. And even if you do trip, they'll fix everything in post," I said.

"Who is the director?" Caitlyn asked. That was one thing I was worried about. Caitlyn and I had been in make up for awhile now and had not seen the director yet.

"Relax Caity-Cat. You'll meet him or her soon enough," I reassured her. Caitlyn sighed and relaxed in her chair.

"Alright Caitlyn. We're ready for you," one of the assistants said. I guided Caitlyn out to the white set and forced her to stand next to her husband. Nate looked excited, but he immediately picked up on Caitlyn's nerves.

"Caitlyn, you'll do fine. Just remember our song," I heard Nate said to her.

"Where's the director?" I asked Nate. He shrugged and looked at a nervous Caitlyn. As if on cue, the doors burst open. I couldn't help but hold my swollen stomach as I began laughing at the site I saw. I saw Jason wearing a black beret, a stick on pencil thin mustache, and a pair of aviators. To his right was Emily wearing a pair of glasses with thick rims and her hair pulled into a bun on top of her head, holding a notepad, ready to take notes. To his left was Shane wearing a pair of sunglasses, holding a plate with a bagel. I assumed it was Jason's. I couldn't believe I was looking at this.

"Oh my gosh! Can I take a picture of you three?" Caitlyn asked through her fit of giggles. Jason, Emily, and Shane all posed as Caitlyn took out her phone and snapped a picture. She brought her phone over to me.

"Can you do me a favor and post that online?" she asked. I nodded.

"Alright dahlings. Let's get this show on the road!" Jason said in a choppy French accent. I chuckled lightly as Jason and Emily went over to the camera.

"Why are you the director?" Caitlyn asked.

"Because we knew this was going to be your first music video and we wanted you to be comfortable," Emily explained, leaning into Jason. Caitlyn nodded and smiled.

"Alright! Let's get this show on the road!" Jason exclaimed. He pointed over to Shane who was now sitting behind a computer. Shane pressed a few keys on the computer and then music filled the room. I sat humming as I watched Nate and Caitlyn act all cutesy. I sat down in a chair and took pictures of them on Caitlyn's phone. Shane walked over to me and began rubbing my shoulders.

"You ready to go see the house tomorrow?" Shane asked. I nodded.

"The smell of paint is all gone?" I asked. He nodded.

"Everything is ready to go. All that needs to be done is for your approval, then we'll start moving everything," he said. I nodded and relaxed into Shane's touch. I was 17 weeks along and I was moodier than ever. I knew that Shane was doing his best to make things easy on me, and I would never be able to thank him completely. I guess having his child would be a pretty good thanks.

"And then in a few days is the next ultrasound?" he asked. I nodded.

"Yes, and we should be able to find out the gender," I said, watching my my friends.

"What do you want our baby to be?" he asked me.

"A boy," I said, keeping my attention on Nate and Caitlyn.

"Can we name him Shane Junior?" Shane asked. I laughed lightly.

"No. I don't think so. The last thing that we need is to name our child after either of us. I don't want them thinking that just because you and I are celebrities, that they have to follow that life too," I said. Shane nodded.

"I have something to show you tomorrow," he said softly in my ear.

"A surprise?" I asked apprehensively.

"No, not a surprise Miss Killjoy," Shane said, causing me to giggle lightly.

"Then what is it?" I asked.

"You'll have to wait and see," Shane said.

"You said it wasn't a surprise," I pouted. Shane laughed softly and kissed my cheek.

"It's not a surprise. It's a secret," Shane said. I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to Caitlyn and Nate.

"I promise that you are going to love it," Shane said.

"I'd better," I playfully warned.

* * *

"Oh my gosh!" I exclaimed as we drove up to the new house. It wasn't a mansion, but it wasn't tiny either. It was perfect.

"Wow, this is just the outside. Imagine how excited you are going to be when you see the secret," Shane said.

"Shane, I just know that I'm going to be thrilled!" I said.

"Would you like to see the house?" Shane asked. I nodded vigorously. He climbed out of the car and made his way around to the passenger's side. He helped me out of the car and we began walking up the path to the front door. We entered the house and I couldn't stop the smile from spreading across my face. We had a cherry-wood hardwood floors and cream walls. There was an 8 foot long wall in the center of the entryway that had a staircase on the other side. On the other side of this wall and staircase was a living room. It had white carpeting and the same cream colored walls. The carpet ended and the cherry-wood floors restarted when we got to the kitchen/dining room area. The counter tops were a dark marble and the cupboards was the same cherry-wood as the floors. The center of the kitchen area had a little island that had stools sitting around it.

"Shane, this is amazing!" I exclaimed.

"Here, come see our bedroom," Shane said, grabbing my hand. He down a small hall across from the staircase.

"We're on the first floor?" I asked.

"Yeah, why not?" he asked. I shrugged. He opened the only door in the hall. I was mesmerized by the bedroom. It was the only room that was completely set up already. The walls were navy blue. We had the cherry-wood floor, but a huge cream rug covered a lot of the floor. We had a cherry-wood dresser that had two silver picture frames. One was taken last Christmas when Shane and I hosted our family Christmas. Shane's family (Denise, Paul, Nate, Jason, and Trevor) and my family (Mom, Dad, Pat, Caitlyn, and Dani) had all crammed around the Christmas tree with Shane and I as the picture was taken. On the other side of the dresser was a picture that we had just taken a few weeks ago. It was Shane and I sitting on the beach, both of our hands rested on my growing belly. It was our first "family picture" that we had. In the center of the dresser was a silver bowl filled with water and a few white orchid blossoms floating in it. I turned towards our bed. It had navy and white sheets. The pillows were navy, white, and silver. I walked into the private bathroom that was connected to the bedroom. It was a pinkish yellow color and it had a huge jacuzzi bathtub and a shower. The counter stretched along the whole wall and had two sinks for Shane and I. I walked back out and sat on edge of the bed.

"This is amazing Shane. How did you know that I would want a bedroom like this?" I asked. Shane smiled lightly.

"When we first started talking about marriage, like the first time we were dating, I asked you what your dream bedroom would look like. I have to admit that when you first said navy blue, I was a little hesitant, but it really adds a calming affect on the room," he said. I sat there dumbfounded. He remembered something that I told him back when I was sixteen years old. I stood up and kissed his cheek.

"It's perfect Shane. Thank you so much," I said softly, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"I'm glad that you like it," Shane said, pecking my lips.

"So was this my 'not-a-surprise?'" I asked. Shane chuckled.

"No, this was your surprise. Your 'not-a-surprise' is in a different room," Shane said. I chuckled.

"Shall we see the rest of the house?" Shane asked. I nodded. He guided me out of the bedroom and up the stairs. When we reached the top of the steps, he led me to a room.

"I was thinking that this could be the family room. Have a television, a bunch of games, the works," Shane said. I nodded.

"I like that idea. I'm sure our kids would like a place where there's only fun things," I said. Shane nodded and pulled me across the hallway into the guest bedroom.

"For now, it's the guest room. But I'm sure someday it'll become another bedroom," Shane said. I nodded.

"You made it yellow?" I asked.

"Damn straight I did. Nothing makes a guest feel more at home than the color yellow," he said. I chuckled. It reminded me of our conversation about how every guest bedroom seemed to either be yellow or pink.

"And then this door leads to a joined bathroom," Shane said, opening a door that lead us to a bathroom that was big enough to be another bedroom. He guided me into the other bedroom. The nursery.

"Now, this isn't your 'not-a-surprise' but I think you'll like it," he said. He opened the door and lead me into a room that was filled with musical notes. The walls looked like old parchment paper. The crib was black and white, like the keys on a piano.

"Shane, this is beautiful," I said softly.

"Do you like it? Or do you think that's putting too much pressure on the baby to follow in our footsteps?" Shane asked. I shrugged.

"Music is good for babies. I think that once they get old enough, they can design the room however they want," I said. Shane smiled.

"What were you thinking for names?" Shane asked, placing his hands on my stomach.

"I was thinking of the name Dylan," I said.

"And for a girl?" Shane asked.

"I meant for a girl. Or a boy. For a girl, Dylan Marie. For a boy, Dylan James," I said. Shane thought about it for a second and smiled.

"I love that. Unique, but not too weird," Shane said.

"That's the point!" I said, laughing. Shane smiled.

"Alright, now it's time for your 'not-a-surprise.' You ready to see it?" he asked. I nodded. He led me down the stairs to the main floor. We walked to the opposite side of the staircase, where there was a door. Shane opened it and it led us down to the basement.

"Whoa. Where are you taking me Shane?" I asked as Shane flicked on a light that illuminated the wooden stairs.

"To your 'Not-a-Surprise,'" Shane said bluntly. I laughed lightly. We made it to the bottom of the steps and Shane pointed towards a door. I could feel my lip begin quivering and salty tears began welling up in my eyes.

"How did you get this?" I asked, walking towards the door. I couldn't believe I was touching this door. There, in a fresh coat of purple paint, in my father's painted penmanship, were the words "Mitchie's Place." Above that, in a fresh coat of green paint, also in my father's penmanship, was the words "Shane and." I could feel the first few tears fall. I ran my hands along the scarred wood that had been scorched in the fire. I closed my eyes as memories that I had stored away came flooding back to me. I hadn't used that recording studio that my father had made me as much as I would have liked to, but breaking it in with Dad was one of my most treasured memories.

"How did you get this door?" I whispered in awe.

"Well...it wasn't easy. Let's just leave it at that," Shane said. I couldn't believe it. I was too scared to believe it.

"Can I go in?" I asked. Shane nodded. I turned the knob of the door and pushed the door open. I walked in and I couldn't help the tears that fell after that. It looked exactly like the studio that Dad had made for me. The only difference was that there was a wall that had mine and Shane's album names painted on it. It was unbelievable. I ran my fingers across a keyboard that was in there. A new computer was sitting in there. A bunch of instruments were placed around the room. Then there was the sound booth. It looked just like how Dad made it. It had a sofa and a couple of butterfly chairs. I was about to thank Shane for all of this, but something in the sound booth caught my eye. Something small...and yellow...

My breath caught in my throat. This was impossible. I walked towards the door and pushed it open. I walked over to the small table and my hands reached out to grab the small, yellow book. I hadn't seen it since before I left for my first tour with the guys. I thought it had burned along with the rest of my studio. Arguably, I thought that the door had also burned, but there it was. I looked up at Shane through the sound proof glass. How did he find this? I ran my fingers gently across the faded orange words on the cover of the yellow book. Mitchie's Songs.

"I can't believe this," I whispered. I cautiously opened the book, afraid that it would disappear if I touched it too hard. I turned a few pages. There it was, in my sloppy, teenage writing. _This is Me _was still there. I closed the book and hugged it close to my heart. I couldn't believe this was really happening. I placed the book back down on the table and walked back out to Shane.

"How did you find it?" I asked through my teary eyes.

"Well, it wasn't easy. But since yours and Caitlyn's room wasn't actually connected to the house, so Caitlyn actually rescued it before you guys all permanently moved here to California," Shane explained. I nodded and wrapped my arms around Shane.

"You did all of this for me?" I whispered, unable to really find my voice.

"Of course. Mitchie, I know that I ruined your Dad and Mitchie day the day that I came and got you for the tour. And that wasn't fair of me. And now you and your dad will always have a place to make music.

"Thank you so much Shane Gray," I said softly.

"You're so welcome Mitchie Gray," he said, kissing my lips lightly. My phone began ringing a familiar tune. My parents were calling. Oh joy. I pulled away from Shane with a slight scowl. Why would they interrupt us now? I slid the answer button and put my phone to my ear.

"Hello?" I asked, masking my irritation the best I could.

"Mitchie?" a young voice came through.

"Dani?" I asked. Her voice sounded like she had been crying. I felt my heart start racing.

"Mitchie, something happened to Daddy!" Dani said. I felt my blood run cold.

"What are you talking about Dani? What happened to Daddy?" I asked. I saw Shane's face turn to shock and he ran out of the room and up the stairs. I began following him as fast as I could. I knew he was headed for the car.

"He was making lunch and then he just fell down," Dani explained.

"Where's Momma?" I asked.

"She went to the store," Dani said through tears.

"Listen Dani, I need you to call 911. You remember learning about that, right?" I asked.

"Yeah?" Dani said tearfully.

"Alright honey, call 911 and tell them everything you just told me, then wait for the ambulance to get there. Shane and I are on our way," I said, shutting the front door behind me.

"Okay Mitchie," Dani said. We hung up and I threw myself into the car.

"Go Shane!" I exclaimed. Shane didn't need to be told twice. I strapped on my seat belt and grabbed my phone. I immediately called my mom's cell phone. No answer. I growled in frustration. I called Caitlyn's phone next. Again, nothing. I let out an irritated groan.

"Who are you calling?" Shane asked, focused on driving quickly but safely.

"I'm trying to get a hold of someone who can be there with Dani," I said, scrolling through my contacts. I dialed Emily's number. It rang once...twice...three times.

"Hey Mitch, what's up?" she asked immediately.

"I have a favor to ask of you," I asked quickly. I could tell that she sensed my urgency.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Something is wrong with my dad. Can you go to the house and be with Dani and him until the ambulance gets there? My mom and Caitlyn aren't picking up their phones," I said.

"Where are you?" she asked.

"Shane showed me the house, so I'm nowhere near home. Please Emily?" I begged.

"Of course. I'll call you when I get there," Emily said.

"Thank you," I said. We quickly said goodbye and then hung up. I called my mom again, but still got no answer. I rested my head on the window and silently began praying that my father would be okay.

* * *

I sat in the hospital waiting room with Dani on my lap and Shane and Emily in the chairs beside me. I had finally gotten a hold of Caitlyn who was with my mom and they were on their way. My dad was in surgery. He'd had a heart attack. I had tried to distract Dani at first, but I knew that she was traumatized from having seen our father collapse. She had been strong, but I knew that she wouldn't be okay until we knew that Dad was going to survive.

"Mimi, is Daddy going to be okay?" she asked. I sighed. What did I tell her?

"He's going to be okay," I said.

"Pinky promise?" she asked. I felt my heart convulse. I looked down at my baby sister and I realized that she and I didn't know each other very well. I was missing out on my sister's life. Was this how it would be with my own child? Would I be a stranger to my flesh and blood? I latched my pinky onto hers and held it there.

"Pinky promise," I confirmed. She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me as tightly as she could.

"Dani, why don't you and I go down to the cafeteria and I'll let you get whatever you want?" Shane suggested, seeing that I was near tears. Dani reluctantly took Shane's hand, but followed him. I covered my hands over my eyes and shook off the negative emotions that were enveloping me. I just wanted to fly away from here. What if Dad didn't make it?

"He'll be okay Mitchie. I'm sure of it," Emily said, rubbing my back. I couldn't think straight. Every time I closed my eyes, all I saw were memories of my dad and I. They quickly changed from memories of my dad to fears of the future. What if this happened to Shane someday? Would I be able to handle it? I thought back to everyone in my life. How Caitlyn and I would stay up dreaming, hoping of being big stars someday, taking control of the world with our music. Or all the times that Shane and I just drove around the city, acting crazier than we really are. I felt a bubble of guilt in the pit of my stomach. I was taking all those things for granted. How long would they be in my life? I realized, sitting in that hospital chair, just how precious life truly was.

"Where is he?" a comforting voice asked. I looked up and saw my mom and Caitlyn walking in with Nate and Jason near by. I got up and ran to my mom. I wrapped my arms around her and began crying. She held onto me as tight as she could. I could hear Emily explaining everything.

"Mitchie, he'll be okay. I know he will. Your father is strong," Mom said reassuringly. I nodded, and prayed as hard as I could for my father to be safe.

* * *

A few hours later, a doctor came into the waiting room. He looked tired, but pleased. I wanted to relax, but I wouldn't calm down until the doctor told us that he would be alright.

"Are you guys the family of Steve Torres?" he asked. Mom stood up and nodded.

"I'm his wife," she said.

"Ma'am, your husband suffered a heart attack, but he's going to be just fine," the doctor said. I let our a breath of relief. I silently began thanking whatever higher being saved my father's life.

"Thank you so much doctor!" Mom exclaimed.

"Well you're very welcome, but it wasn't all on us. Who called 911?" he asked. Dani raised her little hand. The doctor walked over to her chair and knelt down in front of her.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Dani," she said shyly.

"Well Dani, you did a very brave thing today. Did you know that?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Dani, you saved your Daddy's life today. You should be very proud of yourself," he said. Dani smiled lightly. I felt my heart warm up at her happy face.

"Would you like to go see your Daddy now?" he asked kindly. Dani nodded. She stood up and took the doctor's hand and he ushered her and Mom to go see him first. I rested my head against Shane's shoulder as a calm came down over me.

* * *

"Today has been insane," I said softly as I climbed in bed next to my husband. Dani was staying at our house for the next few nights while Dad and Mom stayed at the hospital.

"Yeah, but it gave some extreme perspective," he said calmly.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I mean, your dad has always seemed as healthy as a horse. It just makes you think about the little things in life. How we take it all for granted," he said. I nodded in understanding. He placed his hand on my belly and began rubbing soothing circles on it. I smiled and closed my eyes and let sleep capture me.

* * *

**Who saw that coming? Anyone? Anybody? If you said you did, then you're a LIAR! Because I literally _just _wrote it... It was too good. Plus, we needed a bit of drama. But the chapter_originally ended _back before Dani called Mitchie. How sweet was Shane? Getting Mitchie the door and her song book? If you guys don't know what I'm talking about, go back and read Speak Now because this chapter referenced a lot of events from Speak Now. **

**Anywho, last chapter, the song was So Far, So Great by Demi Lovato. No one got it, no big deal. Can you guys guess what song inspired this chapter? I'll give you a hint! Demi did sing this song, but she was the featured artist. Any guesses? :) **

**Alright, I would love to get up to 60 reviews or more for next time, but if it doesn't happen, then I'll post chapter 8 either Friday or Saturday! **

**Love you guys!**

**-T**


	8. Chapter 8

I sat silently on the table waiting for Dr. Frey, not saying a word to Shane. I refused to acknowledge my husband. He was angry at me. I was angry at him. I was certain our son or daughter was angry with both of us, and to be quite honest, I was angry with him or her, too. Shane and I had been bickering since the day before when he showed me our beautiful new home. I had been in the _mood _to have a little bit of fun, and Shane acted like he wanted nothing to do with me. I had pulled out all my tricks and I had gotten nothing from him. Had I known that I was going to become a sex repellent, I would have gotten on birth control before this happened to me. I knew in my head that I loved the child growing inside of me and the man who put him or her in there, but I resented them both for making me feel so shitty.

"Are you going to talk to me?" Shane hissed at me, frustration clear in his tone. I glanced at him and then quickly looked at the ceiling. I could feel tears pooling in my eyes. Damn these hormones. Once I was certain that the tears had dried before they could spill, I glanced at Shane again. He was looking at the ceiling too. I could see that he would occasionally gulp. I wanted nothing more than to kiss his adam's apple, but now was not the time or place. I glanced down at my belly for a moment, but Shane stood up, recapturing my attention.

"I'll be right back," he said, his voice hoarse. I nodded, but he didn't see it since he was already half way out the door. The door clicked shut and I leaned back, glaring at my stomach.

"I thought you were supposed to bring happiness, not anger," I said quietly. Nothing.

"I know you're able to move. I felt you last night little mister or missy. Do you hear me?" I asked my stomach, placing my hand on my swollen stomach. I felt a kick. I knew it.

"Ha! I knew you could kick. Don't lie to your mom," I said. Another kick.

"Do you think Mommy is just blowing things out of proportion?"

Kick.

"Do you think Daddy will forgive Mommy?"

Kick.

"Do you forgive Mommy for blaming you?"

Kick.

"Are you a boy?"

Nothing.

"Are you a girl?"

Nothing.

"Are you an alien or something?"

Nothing.

"Do you think Mommy is crazy, talking to her belly?"

Kick.

"Well you're clearly Daddy's baby. You're a little smart ass is what you are."

Kick.

I chuckled to myself. I was turning into a trainwreck. I couldn't believe I was having a conversation with my stomach. But it didn't matter whether or not I could believe it. My baby was cheering me up. My mood was able to do a complete 180. It was amazing. I sighed and rubbed my stomach as I waited patiently. Shane came back first. He didn't look at me, but his eyes looked red, like he had been crying. I wanted to ask him what was wrong, but before I could ask, Dr. Frey entered.

"I'm so sorry I'm running a little behind. How are you Mitchie?" Dr. Frey asked.

"I'm crazy," I said simply. Dr. Frey gave me a confused look, but just glanced at Shane.

"How's it going Shane?" she asked. He just shrugged. Dr. Frey glanced at me worried, but I just shrugged. She sighed and nodded. She must have seen this all the time.

"Well, Mitchie, if you could lay down, we can get a good look at your baby," she said. I nodded and laid back. I lifted my shirt and glanced down at my large belly.

"Shane, if you want to get a good look at the baby, you can just scoot over towards Mitchie," Dr. Frey said.

"I'm good, thanks," Shane said, his voice still hoarse. I felt my blood boil.

"Shane, just get over here," I hissed at him.

"I said I'm good," Shane hissed back.

"Just come over here," I ordered.

"No," Shane said resiliently.

"Why not?" I asked, anger clear in my tone.

"Because I don't want to be around you. I can see the screen perfectly fine right here," Shane said. His words cut me worse than any blade ever could. I forced the tears to stay down, but I could feel my mood come crashing back down. I shook my head, closed my eyes, and gestured for Dr. Frey to just continue. She glanced between us nervously, but squirted the gel stuff onto my stomach anyways. She took her magical wand thingy and placed it on my stomach.

"Here is the head. It seems to be developing just fine," she said. I opened up my eyes and saw my baby. I smiled lightly. I glanced at Shane and saw a small smile on his face too. Dr. Frey swiveled the wand to another part of my stomach.

"Here's the baby's feet," Dr. Frey said. I smiled as I thought of the baby kicking me.

"And then here is the full picture," Dr. Frey said, moving to the center of my stomach. I could feel the tears building in my eyes again. There was my baby. I couldn't contain the happiness I felt.

"I'll go print up a picture for you guys," she said. I nodded and watched as she shut the equipment down. I wiped the goo off me and Dr. Frey told us she'd be right back. I could feel my mood come back down. I was with Shane again and it was so...awkward.

"Weren't we going to find out the sex?" Shane asked softly. I groaned.

"Shit! Totally forgot!" I exclaimed. Shane glared at my language. He didn't like it when I cursed. Said that the first words out of the baby's mouth were going to be curse words. It's true. They probably would be.

"Alright, here we are!" Dr. Frey announced as she came back in, holding the picture.

"Dr. Frey, we totally forgot, but we were hoping to learn the sex of the baby," Shane said.

"Oh! Not a problem. Mitchie, why don't you just lay back down and we'll figure that out," Dr. Frey said, handing the picture to Shane. I laid back down and pulled my shirt back up. She squirted the gel just onto my stomach again and moved the wand around.

"There we have it," she said.

"So? What is it?" I asked.

"Mitchie, Shane, it's a-"

* * *

"And then we found out the gender, got in the car, and came back home," I said to Caitlyn, Emily, Denise, and Mom.

"Mitchie!" Caitlyn exclaimed.

"What?" I asked.

"Are you having a boy or a girl?" Emily asked.

"We are having..." I trailed off. They were clinging onto my every word. I smirked the famous Gray smirk and finished with, "A baby!"

"Mitchie Gray, you'd better tell me if I'm having a grandson or granddaughter," Denise said.

"You're having a grandson or granddaughter. I promise," I said.

"Mitchie," Mom said, using her warning tone.

"You guys, Shane and I just want to share this for now. We promise we'll tell you all, but it's got to be an us thing right now. Please?" I asked.

"How will we know what to get you for the baby shower?" Caitlyn asked. Baby shower? My interest peaked.

"Baby shower? What baby shower? I wasn't planning anything like that," I said.

"Of course you weren't. We were going to throw you one. It was _supposed _to be a surprise though," Emily said, glaring at Caitlyn.

"Oh? You're planning the baby shower? I thought Denise and I were doing it because it's our first grandchild," Mom said to Caitlyn and Emily.

"Well we're Mitchie's best friends," Emily said gently.

"That's not the point. We're their family," Denise said.

"I'm their family," Caitlyn said.

"But that doesn't count. You're not their real family," Denise said. The room got scary quiet.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Caitlyn said, dangerously quiet.

"I just mean that neither of you are biologically related to this baby. Let the grandmas do the job," Denise said to her daughter-in-law. Nate would _so _be getting in the middle of this.

"You know, I may not be _biologically _related to this baby, but whether or not I'm related biologically, I'm still the baby's aunt. So I think I've got a bit of standing here," Caitlyn said.

"Guys...why don't you all just-"

"Hang on Mitchie. Caitlyn, dear, I'm not saying you don't have a bit of standing. I'm just saying that this is mine and Connie's first grandchild," Denise said.

"I think what she means is that she just wants Mitchie to have the best baby shower there could be," Mom said.

"And you don't think we could do that?" Emily asked.

"Well, we do know what expecting mothers really want to see," Connie said.

"With all due respect, Mrs. Torres, but Caitlyn and I have been with Mitchie through everything. We are her best friends. I think it's safe to say we know what she wants to see," Emily said.

"You may be her best friends, but I'm her mother. I've been the one who's been there for everything. I was there when you ruined her and Shane's relationship the first time around," Mom said. My jaw dropped at my mother's dig.

"Mother!" I exclaimed, but they all ignored me.

"That's not going to happen again. I'm with Jason now," Emily said. This was getting too personal for my liking.

"Lord knows that boy wouldn't be able to figure out if you were cheating on him, he's far too smitten," Denise said.

"Excuse me?" Emily asked.

"Hey, Emily has come a long way. She's just as good as Mitchie and I now," Caitlyn defended.

"I wouldn't compare her to you Caitlyn. You aren't exactly a saint," Denise said. I felt my anger flair. I loved Denise, but this was just getting to be too much.

"Guys, stop. Really-"

"Hang on Mitchie. Excuse me Denise?" Caitlyn said.

"I'm just saying that you were the one who had Nate so confused from day one," Denise said.

"Now you just wait a minute, that's my daughter you're talking about," Mom said. Denise raised her hands.

"I'm just saying the truth," Denise said. Ever since Caitlyn and I entered the picture, Denise hadn't really been around. The guys were pretty much all adults and didn't really need their parents around constantly. Either way, this was just getting way too personal.

"Enough!" I exclaimed, standing up as fast as I could. The four women in front of me looked startled by my sudden outburst. Good.

"I love all four of you dearly, but I want you all to drop the idea of a baby shower and just get out of my house," I said, irritated with all of them.

"Mitchie," Mom said with that warning tone. I was done with this.

"Don't you _Mitchie _me! You guys are making this about you guys. Well newsflash, this isn't about you guys. This isn't even about _me_! This is about my _baby _and I'm not going to let you guys sit here and attack each other. Now this concerns my baby, so I have the right to end it right now. And this is my house, so I have the right to tell all four of you to get out. I don't need all this added stress, so I want you all to leave and come back when you guys have figured out how to work together," I said, crossing the room to the door. I opened it up and looked at the four women expectantly.

"Mitchie, you may be an adult, but you have no right to talk to your mother like that," Denise said.

"And you have no right to insult my friends the way you did. So please leave," I said, gesturing to the door. None of them moved.

"Get out now," I growled at all of them. They all stood up, knowing I meant business. I must be scary as a mad pregnant woman. Mom kind of was too when she was pregnant with Dani. Denise left first, giving me a quick hug. I hugged her back and kissed her on the cheek. She was still my mother-in-law and I did love her, I just didn't appreciate her attitude with my friends. Next came Emily. I hugged her tightly and made a mental note to call her and make sure she was okay. Next was Caitlyn. I hugged her and kissed her cheek.

"You're still my sister. I promise," I whispered to her. She nodded and hugged me a bit tighter. She pulled away and I watched her walk out. I turned to my mother.

"I'm sorry mija," she said softly.

"You realize that you have three daughters, not just Dani and me, right?" I asked. She nodded.

"I really didn't know what to say Mitchie," she said softly.

"You need to go talk to Caitlyn. I can tell that it's killing her right now. Take her out to lunch. I'm sure she'd love it. Just you and her," I suggested. Mom nodded and pulled me into a hug.

"Te amo mija," she said softly.

"Te amo mama," I replied softly. I pulled away and she walked out the door. I closed it and leaned against it as I let out a sigh of exhaustion. I could totally go for a bowl of ice cream right now.

"Are we good?" a voice called. I looked up and saw Shane standing in the doorway to the kitchen, leaning against the frame with two bowls of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, still irritated with him from earlier.

"Are we still fighting? Or have you gotten over it? Cause I feel like I'm over it," Shane said honestly. I rolled my eyes.

"Shane, I can't just be over it. Do you even _know _why I'm angry with you?" I asked.

"You're angry because I won't have sex with you," he said. I felt my heart skip a beat. He knew why I was upset. I didn't know why, but that made me very happy. At least he still cared.

"Yes, actually," I said softly. Shane sighed.

"Do you even _know _why I'm not going to have sex with you?" he asked. I bit my lip. I had never even thought about why he _wouldn't _want to have sex. Shane was a little sex crazy when we first moved in together and it didn't let up until after we found out I was pregnant. Then it pretty much stopped after my stomach started growing.

"No. Enlighten me?" I asked as kindly as I could.

"Mitch, I don't want to do anything that could harm our child. I'm sorry if that doesn't please you, but I'm not going to do _anything _to hurt this child," Shane said. I crossed my arms and pouted.

"Would you like this bowl of ice cream I prepared for you?" Shane asked, holding the bowl out towards me. I felt my frown melt into a smile. Ice cream made everything better.

"You're my savior," I said, walking over to him. He handed me a bowl and wrapped his arm around me, guiding me over to the couch.

"I love you. You know that, right?" Shane said softly. I nodded.

"Do you?" he asked. We both sat down on the couch.

"Shane, what's been up with you lately? I mean, I know that I'm having mood swings left and right, but I need you to be the grounded one of us," I said softly.

"Mitchie...I can't always keep my cool," Shane said softly.

"Why can't you?" I asked. Shane sighed and set his bowl of ice cream on the coffee table.

"I'm pregnant Mitchie," Shane said.

"You're not funny Shane," I said, sitting my bowl next to his.

"I'm not being funny Mitchie," he said.

"Men can't be pregnant," I said. Shane sighed.

"You're right. I can't be pregnant, but it can be _like _I'm pregnant," Shane said.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"It's called Couvade Syndrome," Shane said softly.

"What is that Shane?" I asked. Shane cleared his throat.

"It is more commonly known as Sympathetic Pregnancy," he explained.

"You're...you're going through pregnancy too?" I asked, trying to keep from laughing.

"Don't laugh at me Mitchie," Shane said, picking his ice cream back up. I chuckled lightly.

"I'm sorry Shane. I don't mean to laugh. I guess I'm just chuckling because my dad went through the same thing when my mom was pregnant with me," I said.

"Well don't laugh," Shane said with a mouth full of ice cream.

"Baby, I'm not going to laugh. I know _exactly _what you're going through," I said.

"Obviously. _You did this to me_!" Shane exclaimed through fake tears. I laughed lightly.

"Shane, you are a trainwreck," I said. I saw the smile on Shane's face fall. I kissed his cheek lightly, "But I wouldn't love you if you changed," I said. He smiled and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"I love you too, Mitch," he said. He placed his bowl of ice cream on the coffee table again and got down on his knees. He leaned in and place his hands on my large stomach.

"And I love you, too, Dylan."

* * *

**Sorry guys, this is much longer than necessary. Forgive me? I summarize it all in the end, so just read that if this all intimidates you.**

**1. T****ensions are rising with our favorite couple. For now, Mitchie and Shane are happy again, but if you've ever read any of my stories, then you know that the happiness is usually short lived. Drama is going to start picking up in the next chapter. Next chapter, a couple new characters are introduced who aren't going to impact Shane and Mitchie's relationship, but Mitchie is going to start reconnecting with her family, which includes Caitlyn. And next chapter is really going to give you insight into Caitlyn's past. I know I got a lot of flack from readers back in Speak Now because I centered a chunk of the story around Caitlyn and Nate's relationship, so this time I'm giving you a head's up! That being said, just because a portion of the story is going to be centered around Caitlyn does not mean that it's not going to have a _huge _impact on the story!  
**

**2. I just wanna say thank you to my readers who pointed out that I overused the phrase "cherry-wood" when describing the bedroom. My whole freaking house is predominantly made of cherry-wood and it's a gorgeous type of wood that just brings a room together, but I can see how monotonous it gets. As always, I accept constructive criticism, not flames, but none of these were flames :) And to the reader who thought the end of last chapter was predictable, maybe so, but I liked it, so boom! :D**

**3. Yes, the song for the last chapter was We'll Be A Dream! Congrats to Brighter Rocky, Crystal, Andy95S, and minipadawan98 who were all able to guess correctly! It's a fairly easy guess this time. The title of the song comes up a couple times. No pressure! :)  
**

**4. Also, I'm thinking about launching another Tumblr blog that is going to have "deleted scenes" from chapters. If you guys are interested in something like that, let me know in a review or pm me or hit me up on Twitter. Yes, chapter 8 does have one of these "bonus clips" that was totally irrelevant from the story and wasn't necessary for the plot, so you decide whether it would be worth reading or not! :) **

**5. Also, thank you all for the get well wishes! I am still coughing up nasty icky, stuff (note: whenever you want to describe something gross, icky is the word to use) but for the most part, I am MUCH better. My fever has finally come back down to a stable 98.4 which is my normal temperature because I have _always _had piss poor blood circulation. When I originally did the editing for this chapter, I was under the influence of a fever, so my authors note was just full of me bitching and whining about my whole life, but now I'm better!  
**

**6. Finally, ****I have a poll going on right now regarding the _gender _of the Smitchie Baby, named Dylan. The gender is already predetermined, but I want to know what you guys think the baby will be! So if you wanna just click on the BubblegumPenguins link at the top of the page, the poll will be at the top of the page you're directed to (aka BubblegumPenguins Profile) Thanks you guys!**

**So to summarize all this!**

**1. Next chapter is centered around Caitlyn's past, but is crucial to the plot, so no complaining.  
2. I used the phrase Cherry-Wood a lot last chapter. Thank you for constructive criticism rather than butt-hurt whining :)  
3. Last chapter was inspired by "We'll Be A Dream." CONGRATS!  
4. Considering a "bonus clips" Tumblr blog. Please sound off about that!  
5. I'm feeling better, thank you :)  
6. New poll! Check it out :)  
**

**I'll see you guys either when I reach 70 reviews or on Tuesday! Love you all!**

**DFTBA  
-T**


	9. Chapter 9

I stood in front of the large doors of the Gellar household. Caitlyn stood next to me, fidgeting uncontrollably. She had asked me to come with her for support. She wanted to confront her parents about them disowning her. Ever since Denise had told Caitlyn that she wasn't part of the family, Caitlyn had been searching for something. That's how we got here. The guys were in New York doing a bunch of interviews, meaning Caitlyn and I could take this trip to Austin, Texas where her parents lived.

"What are we doing here again?" I asked. Caitlyn just sighed.

"I told you already. I promise it won't take long," she responded, ringing the doorbell.

"James, I'll get it in a minute!" we heard Caitlyn's mother call from the other side of the door. One of the big doors swung open and Caitlyn's mom stood in front of us. Caitlyn looked just like her. It was like I was looking into an age progressing mirror. From the heart shaped face to the bouncy brown curls.

"Caitlyn?" she asked, sounding relieved.

"Hello Amy," Caitlyn said. I could see the flicker of sadness that came into Caitlyn's mother's eyes when Caitlyn called her by her name, but as soon as it came, it was gone, hidden behind a wall of stone.

"What are you doing here?" Amy asked.

"Is James home?" Caitlyn asked. Amy nodded.

"I'd like to speak to you both," she said, unnecessarily loud. Amy seemed hesitant, but opened the door to us regardless, welcoming us in. I walked into the house behind Caitlyn. This house certainly wasn't...child friendly. It was cold and clean. It made me nervous that I was going to break something.

"My name is Amy," Amy greeted me politely.

"Mitchie," I responded.

"Can I get you ladies anything? Water? Lemonade?" Amy asked. Caitlyn shook her head.

"Could I get some water? I didn't realize Texas would be this hot," I said. Amy nodded and gestured to a room.

"James is in there," she said. Amy turned to go into the kitchen and I noticed her neck had a bruise. I tugged on Caitlyn's arm.

"Did you see her neck?" I whispered quietly. Caitlyn nodded and squeezed my shoulder.

"If I say run, promise me you will?" she asked. I nodded and followed her into the big room. James was laughing an obnoxious laugh at some stupid show on the television. Caitlyn grabbed the remote from the side table and flicked the tv off. James swung around, irritation clear on his face, when he noticed Caitlyn. He smirked a wicked smirk and relaxed back in his seat.

"Well, well, well. Caity came crawling back home. Hollywood beat you down?" he asked.

"Well James, I see that you haven't changed at all. Still beating up the only woman that pays you any attention?" Caitlyn fired back. James stood up and got up close to Caitlyn's face, but she didn't back down.

"You want to say that again young lady?" he threatened.

"I saw the bruise you gave her," Caitlyn replied.

"Keep talking like that and I'll give you a matching set. You're still my daughter. I'll beat your little ass into the ground," he said. I felt my heartbeat racing. I was terrified for Caitlyn's safety.

"I'm not your daughter. And I'm not some little kid anymore," Caitlyn said. James looked her up and down in a possessive way. It was like the way Shane looked at me or Nate looked at Caitlyn. It was not the way a father should look at his daughter.

"That much is very true. You have definitely grown up," he said. I cleared my throat and crossed my arms, capturing the attention of the father and my sister.

"And who is this beautiful young lady?" he asked, walking over to me. I felt extremely uncomfortable being near this man looking at me like I was a piece of meat.

"That's my sister, Mitchie Torres. I'm sure you've heard about her," Caitlyn said.

"So you're the famous Mitchie Torres who took my Caity from me?" he asked.

"You disowned her. I didn't take her away," I retorted. I could feel his eyes hovering on my stomach.

"I see you followed her path on getting yourself pregnant," he said.

"I'm married thank you very much," I growled. He chuckled darkly.

"I'm sure you are," he said, glancing down at my slight cleavage.

"James, leave her alone," Caitlyn said, recapturing his attention.

"Now Caity, I'm just being nice to the guest," he said. I backed away when he took a slight step towards me.

"I need to talk to you and Amy," Caitlyn said.

"About what?" he asked.

"Why you disowned me?" she asked.

"You didn't seriously think we'd let you stay with us after you got pregnant. We sure as hell weren't going to take care of a bastard child for you," James said.

"Where's a bathroom?" I asked. Caitlyn and James looked at me irritated.

"I'm pregnant. I need a bathroom," I said, pointing to my belly.

"Go up the stairs. It'll be the first door on the left. If you take a right, that would be my old bedroom. So remember that Miss Pregnancy Brain," Caitlyn teased. I rolled my eyes and walked up the stairs. I didn't need to go to the bathroom. I just needed to get out of there. I felt incredibly uncomfortable being around her father and I just needed to get the things she asked me to get, and then get out without getting caught.

All the walls were white. There were no posters or pictures on any of the walls. Her bed spread was even white. There was no color in this room and it was quite cold. I glanced at the old laptop that was sitting on the desk. I opened my large purse and slipped it in. I never realized how heavy these older laptops were. I looked around the room again and frowned at the the clinical looking bedroom.

"Caitlyn, I can't believe this was your life," I said softly. I saw a book saying "Caitlyn's Songs" and I smiled. I grabbed it and slipped it into my purse as well. I looked around for anything else. I saw it. A diary. I grabbed it and slipped it into my purse too. I quietly crept across the hall into the bathroom. I sat down and opened to the most recent entry. It was the day before she left for the tour with us.

_I'm so glad to be getting out of here. I can't stay here for another minute. I know I'll have to come back sooner or later, but I'd much rather it be later than sooner. I miss Mitchie and Nate. I miss Jason and Shane, too, but Nate and Mitchie are my anchors to this world. If they weren't around, I probably wouldn't have made it this long anymore. I mean, can you really blame me? Mom was beaten pretty bad last night after she walked in on Dad and I. He was pissed at her for interrupting... She actually apologized. You see your husband slamming into your daughter who's screaming and crying and begging for it to stop, and you're sorry for walking in? I guess it's not all my mom's fault. I know about her and Grandpa. She probably thinks it's normal. She's hopeless. But I'm not going to be like that. I'm not going to have a husband who will do anything to my daughter. I won't be weak like her. I begged for her help and she turned a blind eye... I have to get out of here. _

I shook my head in shock. I flipped the book back to the first entry in this book and began reading.

_I hear Mom and Dad fighting. All I can hear is the back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. This is one of the reasons he left! It's been about two years since he left and now he just shows up out of nowhere, begging Mom to be part of our lives again. And the kicker? She lets him! He keeps trying to get our father/daughter bond back, but I don't think he realizes that he can't get back something we never even had. I remember what he did to me and mom. His selfish hands were always asking for more. The really sick part? As much as I want to just thrown him away like yesterday's trash, I just can't. _

I shut the book closed as fast as I could. I closed my eyes and shook my head. This couldn't have happened. No. Not Caitlyn. She's got everything together. She...she couldn't be... I could feel a fresh set of tears pooling in my eyes. I growled to myself. This was the annoying part of pregnancy. Hormones. Or maybe these were real tears. I couldn't even tell anymore. I slipped the diary into my purse and flushed to toilet to make them believe that I had to really go. I opened the door and heard Caitlyn and Amy start screaming. I laid my hand on my stomach and felt Dylan kicking me.

"I promise we'll be okay," I said softly. I walked down the stairs as fast as I could, and made my way to the living room. I was horrified by what I saw. James was towering over Caitlyn, who was cradling her eye, and Amy, who was holding onto Caitlyn. Caitlyn glanced at me, but James seemed to have forgotten about me.

"You think you have the right to leave me? You came back! You're stuck here now!" James screamed. I opened my purse and pulled out my birthday gift from Jason. A stun gun. I crept behind James as softly as I could. He was still screaming, but all I could hear was my heart pounding in my ears. I reached out and stunned James. He convulsed for a few seconds and crumpled to the ground. All three of us girls were screaming.

"Let's go!" I exclaimed. Caitlyn and Amy both scrambled up.

"Go!" Caitlyn yelled to me. I ran out the door as fast as I could. I ran to the rental car and started it up. I watched as Caitlyn and Amy came running out with a couple bags.

"Get in the car!" Caitlyn exclaimed to Amy. They threw the bags in the back seat. Amy climbed in and buckled up. Caitlyn jumped into the passenger seat.

"Go! Mitchie, go!" she exclaimed. I didn't have to be told twice. I threw the gear into drive and sped off from the house as fast as I could. I didn't slow down until we were at _least _five miles away from that hell house. I sighed a bit and looked at Caitlyn's face. Her eye was swelling up and turning a little black and blue.

"Caitlyn, your eye," I said softly.

"Doesn't matter. I'll take care of it," she said. I pulled into the airport where Big Bob was waiting for us at the gate. I climbed out and helped Amy and Caitlyn get the bags.

"Caitlyn, what happened to your eye?" Big Bob asked, protectively.

"I'm fine. Just get us home as fast as possible," Caitlyn said. He nodded and ushered all of us onto the plane. Before we knew it, we were in the air.

"Now flying from Austin, Texas to New York City, New York," the pilot announced.

"We're flying to New York?" I asked Big Bob.

"We've gotta pick up the guys. Sorry ladies," he said. He knew as well as we did that the guys would not approve of putting us into such a risky position. We'd just have to cross that bridge when we reached it. I glanced at Caitlyn who was being cared for by Amy. I walked over to them and sat down.

"So...wanna fill me in?" I asked.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you exactly what we were doing. But I had to get her out of there," Caitlyn said, leaning her head on Amy's shoulder. I nodded.

"I don't blame you," I said.

"I'm so grateful to you both," Amy said, kissing Caitlyn's forehead and taking my hand. I held onto her hand as well. Before we knew it, we were landing in New York. Caitlyn sighed and looked at me.

"Nate is going to be furious," Caitlyn said softly.

"Shane is going to be irritated I was in that situation," I said.

"Girls, I'm sure they will both be happy that you are safe and sound," Amy said softly. It didn't take very long for the guys to all walk onto the plane. Amy was resting against the wall. Caitlyn's head was in her lap and my head was on her shoulder. Here was this woman that I had resented before today for disowning my best friend, and she was already a mother figure to me. It was funny how life worked like that.

"Well this is a surprise," Jason said, announcing their presence. I opened my eyes and saw Shane and Nate's concerned faces.

"Mitchie, Caitlyn, who is this?" Nate asked, glancing at Amy.

"She's my mom," Caitlyn said, not lifting her head. She was hiding her eye from Nate. I stood up and walked over to Shane. I quickly pulled him into a hug. He held me tightly, rubbing my back soothingly.

"You went to Texas?" Nate asked, anger ringing in his tone.

"Yes, okay. I went to Texas. Sue me," Caitlyn said, clearly irritated.

"Are you okay?" he asked, walking over to Caitlyn and Amy. Shane and I sat down, watching the scene unfold. Caitlyn sat up and looked at him.

"I'm fine. I promise," she said. Nate grabbed her face gently and ran his finger across her black eye.

"Damn, that's really bad. Have you iced it at all?" he asked. Caitlyn shook her head.

"No. But it'll be fine. I promise," she said. Nate nodded, trusting her. He sat down and looked at Amy. He stretched his hand out towards her.

"Nate Gray. I slept with your daughter," he said, trying to add some humor to the situation. Amy smiled lightly, taking his hand. She shook it gently.

"I'm Amy Gellar. Your wife came out of my vagina," she said bluntly. I laughed lightly watching Nate's face pale. I leaned over to Shane.

"I have to remember to use that someday," I said. Shane laughed and we watched Nate and Caitlyn connect with the newest member of our big, crazy family.

* * *

"So why did you and Caitlyn go to Texas?" Shane asked as we made dinner later that night. He was standing by the stove, grilling a couple of steaks for us, sipping on what seemed to be either his third or fourth glass of wine. I stood at the counter, preparing our salad, sipping on my second glass of sparkling apple cider.

"Well, I thought that we were just going back to get some of her old things that she wanted to have back. But I found out later that Amy had reconnected with her a few months ago and Caitlyn came up with a plan to get Amy out of there.

"And you had to go why?" he asked, clearly irritated. I sighed. Another one of Shane's mood swings.

"Because my sister was going back to the home of the people who disowned her. She needed moral support," I said, tossing the salad.

"And how did Caitlyn get that black eye?" he asked.

"Her father punched her," I said honestly. That caused Shane to stop what he was doing.

"He did _what_?" he asked.

"Shane...don't tell Caitlyn you know this or that I know this...but her father was not a good father. He did things to her Shane," I said quietly, despite the fact that we were in the safety of our home.

"What exactly did he do?" Shane asked, protectively. I'd rarely seen this side of Shane. The side that treated Caitlyn like she was his own little sister. The last time I had seen it was on our first tour when Caitlyn had gotten lost in New York. It was a very rare side of Shane.

"He did things that a father would _never _do to his daughter," I said.

"Like?" he asked.

"What's worse? Physical abuse or sexual abuse?" I asked.

"I don't know Mitchie. If I answer that question, I feel like I'm saying one of them is acceptable. If it's a father, sexual abuse," he said.

"Okay, then her father did the worse of the two," I said, not looking up at Shane. I couldn't see Shane's expression, but I knew he was pissed.

"And you put yourself in that situation?!" he exclaimed.

"Yes. My sister needed my help. Sue me," I said sarcastically. I heard Shane hit something, before he spun around. I could tell that he was a little intoxicated. More intoxicated than he could have gotten just on wine.

"Damn it Mitchie! Don't give me that damn attitude!" he exclaimed.

"Newsflash Shane! This is my attitude! You've been putting up with it for _years_!" I exclaimed.

"Well I shouldn't have to!" he yelled, getting right near my face and he grabbed my shoulders. I felt my heart beat quicken and my mind flashed to the time when Shane got drunk and shoved me while we were on the tour bus. I took a step back from him. I shook my head and grabbed my purse off of the island in the middle of the kitchen.

"You're right Shane. You shouldn't have to put up with my attitude. And I shouldn't have to put up with yours. But we do because we _love each other_!" I yelled. I grabbed my car keys and turned to Shane.

"When that finally sinks in, you can find me at my parents house," I said before walking out the door. I felt Dylan kicking my stomach, but I ignored it the best I could. I was _not _going to let my child tell me what to do. I climbed into the car and began driving towards my parents house.

* * *

The next morning I awoke in the guest bedroom of my parent's house. I could hear Mom, Dad, and Dani all downstairs. The memories from the night before returned and I covered my face, forcing any tears that wanted to surface to halt. Once I composed myself enough, I rolled over and glanced at the digital alarm clock. 10:16 in the morning. I groaned and threw the blankets off of me and walked to the bathroom. I quickly did my business and washed my face and scurried down the stairs. I walked across the hardwood floor and entered the kitchen where it got really quiet. I froze and looked at my parents and little sister.

"Mimi! What are you doing here?" Dani asked, her face glowing with excitement.

"I came over to hang out with you kid! But you were asleep when I got here, so Mom and Dad let me stay the night," I said. She nodded and continued eating her waffles. I glanced at Mom who was staring me down. I turned to her and smiled.

"So why didn't anyone wake me up for breakfast?" I asked, chipper than I probably should have been.

"We...thought that you might want to stay in bed a little longer," Mom said gently. I shook my head.

"Well that was thoughtful, but I'm going to be just fine," I said, sitting down at the counter next to Dani. Mom glanced at Dad worried, but placed a plate of waffles and eggs in front of me.

"Dani, please pass the syrup?" I asked. She nodded and handed it to me. I could feel Dylan moving around in me, which reminded me of Shane, but I forced him from my thoughts. I couldn't be reminded of Shane today. I quietly poured the syrup over my waffle and began eating slowly.

"Mitchie, can we hang out today?" Dani asked. I glanced at Mom and Dad who nodded.

"Sure kid. What would you like to do today?" I asked.

"Can I see where you work?" she asked, excitedly. I smiled at her enthusiasm.

"Sure, I can bring you to the studio. Maybe I'll even let you record something," I said, winking at her. I saw her eyes brighten. Dad had already started teaching her guitar and she was a natural. I could tell that she was bitten by the bug, but whether Mom and Dad let her pursue something was up in the air.

"Awesome! Can we go now?" she asked, pushing her empty plate away from her.

"Slow down kid. I need to finish eating. Go take a shower and get dressed. Once I'm dressed, we'll go on our adventure for the day," I said. She nodded and ran up the stairs. Mom stood across the counter, looking at me.

"So how are you feeling today?" she asked gently. I shrugged.

"I'm still kind of in a daze about it all," I said, wolfing the rest of the waffles into my mouth.

"And?" she urged. I sighed and swallowed the waffle pieces that were forcing my cheeks to bulge.

"And...I think we may have broke up," I said.

"What? Mitchie!" Mom exclaimed.

"What? He was the one who said that we need space!" I defended.

"You always do this Mitchie," Mom exclaimed, turning around and started rinsing the dishes. I stood up.

"_I _always do this? _Me_?" I asked, shocked that my mother would say this to me.

"Yes! Something goes wrong, and you throw in the towel!" Mom scolded. I glared at her.

"You know what? If I knew I was going to be accused of this, I wouldn't have come here," I said, standing up and walking up the stairs. I could hear Mom calling after me, but I refused to hear her out now. I got to the guest room and closed the door, locking it behind me. I couldn't believe my own mother was accusing me of ruining my marriage. Like I was the one who wanted out!

I grabbed my purse and opened it up. I stuck my hand in. My hand found something thin and rubbery. I pulled it out and sighed in relief. I grabbed my pillow and sat on the floor. I slid the rubber band onto my left wrist. I pulled it away from my wrist and released. I felt the rubber snap against my wrist. I let out a sharp breath in pain. I hadn't done this in well over a year, but it suddenly felt so good. I pulled the band a second time. Third.

_Snap!_

"Mimi! Are you ready to go?" Dani called through the door. My eyes snapped open. I looked down at the now broken rubber band. I quickly threw it across the bedroom and stood up.

"Yeah, I'll just be a minute. Say goodbye to Mom and Dad for me," I said, throwing my clothes on.

"Alright! Hurry up!" she exclaimed. I finished getting dressed. I couldn't believe I almost did that. I shook my head and rested my hand on my stomach. I glanced up at the ceiling.

"Help me get through this."

* * *

"Mitchie, can I live with you and Shane?" Dani asked at the end of our day. We'd gone to the studio, the mall, and then the beach, but the day was far from over.

"I'd have to ask Shane, but with the baby on the way, I don't think that would be wise," I said honestly. She frowned.

"But I want to stay here with you and Caitlyn and everyone else," she said. I glanced at her before focusing on the road.

"What are you talking about Dani?" I asked.

"I'm talking about how Mom and Dad want to move to Minnesota," she said. I felt my jaw drop.

"They wouldn't move back to Minnesota! Their lives are here now," I said. Dani shrugged.

"I heard Dad telling Mom how he was looking at houses back where they used to live," she said. I bit my lip. I was just getting to know Dani. I couldn't have her taken from me now. It would be just like me and Patrick, except I would be kept away because of my job, not drugs.

"Dani...you're not moving," I said as we pulled into the driveway. I parked the car and we both climbed out.

"Mimi, thank you for hanging out with me today," she said. I smiled and we walked up to the house. I opened the front door and we saw our parents sitting on the couch.

"Dan, go upstairs and pack an over night bag," I said. I had called Mom and Dad while we had been at the beach and asked if she could come home with me for a girls night with me, Caitlyn, and Emily. They'd happily agreed, as long as I didn't totally corrupt her.

"Really?" she asked. I nodded and watched her bolt up the stairs. I turned to my parents and crossed my arms slightly.

"So you're thinking of moving back to the North Star State?" I asked. Mom and Dad both looked at me like they'd been caught.

"Where'd you hear that?" Mom asked.

"Dani overheard you guys," I said. Dad looked at Mom and then back at me.

"We miss it Mitchie. Our whole lives were there and we just think it's time to go back," they said.

"What about Dani? She's only known California," I said.

"So she'll get to see more of the states. She'll love Minnesota," Mom said. I frowned.

"She asked me if she could live with Shane and I," I said softly. Mom laughed lightly.

"She can't live with you and Shane. You guys can barely keep it together for a year. Besides, you have your own child on the way," Dad said. I rolled my eyes.

"A lot of mothers manage just fine without a man. I am just thinking about the best interest of my sister. Despite what I told her, I would love living with her," I said. Mom rolled her eyes.

"Alright Mitchie. Whatever you say. We haven't even decided if we're moving back. We are thinking about it," Mom said. I nodded and straightened up as Dani came running back down the stairs.

"Ready to go?" I asked. Dani nodded, excitement written on her face.

"Awesome. If you guys do decide you will, think about it," I said, ushering Dani out to my car.

"Ready for your first girls' night?" I asked.

"Yeah!" she exclaimed. I laughed at her enthusiasm.

"Let's go!"

* * *

**Ah, sister bonding time. I haven't had sister bonding time in a really long time. I don't like my sister...**

**Moving on! What did you guys think? The original was a total of 5,612 words. It's now about 800 words less. Definitely the longest chapter I've written in a long time. And while I could have _easily _just make it into two separate chapters, that's not how mama rolls! **

**Two of you awesome muthafuggas got the song to last chapter! Yes, it was TRAINWRECK! Shout out to BrighterRocky and Andy95S! Now I know that this chapter is kind of long, but there's a theme in this chapter that should give you guys an idea of what song inspired this one, but in case you didn't really catch it, lyrics in the song are somewhere in the chapter (hint hint! I never say the actual title, mostly cause it's not something you would say in normal conversation) **

**So I've only gotten a bit of response from you guys regarding the Smitchie Baby! It's about fifty-fifty. Will it be a boy? Will it be a girl? Only Shane and Mitchie know! Well, I do too, but you get my point. **

**You guys seem to have a bit of interest in the idea of a "bonus scene" Tumblr, so I set that all up and the Tumblr Blog is... BubblegumPenguins Bonus Blog! The URL is penguinsbonus dot tumblr dot com and there will be a link in my profile under the normal Tumblr! There is an extended scene from Chapter 8, and a bonus scene and alternative/extended scene from Chapter 9, so if you want to check that out, that would be awesome! If I haven't taken the password down, it's just DFTBA.  
**

**Alright, I think that's it for this time! I'm aiming to get to 80 reviews! I will post the next chapter as soon as I reach 80, so let's try to make that happen! :D  
**

**Love you guys!-T  
**


	10. Chapter 10

I was wordlessly laying down in mine and Shane's bed, rubbing my belly with some cocoa butter that had one of the most annoying scents ever. I was going on 30 weeks and my album dropped in just a few hours. Nate and Caitlyn were going to pick me up and we were going to do the tradition of going to the nearest music shop that will have my album. I would buy the first copy, and then I would go back home for the night. Then tomorrow I would go back and have a Q & A with the first 50 fans that bought the CD. I would have been more excited, but I wasn't really excited for anything since Shane had moved out.

I sat up on the bed of the beautiful room that Shane had decorated for me and him. I stood up and walked over to the bathroom. My bump was more than obvious. It was like a beacon of light in a dark room with no windows. I turned on the curling iron and walked out of the bathroom. I grabbed the latest gossip magazine that I had seen in the store the other day. It had Shane and I on the cover, and the loud, yellow headline screamed "Trouble in Paradise?" I wished more than anything that I could dismiss the rumors as nothing more than lies made up by paparazzi with extra time on their hands. Unfortunately, it wasn't like that. There sadly was trouble. Between Shane's extreme case of sympathy pregnancy and my _actual _pregnancy, the mood swings were getting vicious and Shane had decided that it would be best if we spent some time apart. It had done nothing for me except make me feel more alone than ever.

I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water. I brought it to my lips and sighed to myself at the relief. My throat felt like sand paper. I walked over to the phone and punched in the code for messages. A few were just my mom and Denise calling to ask about Shane and I. Two were from Emily, asking me if I wanted vanilla or chocolate cake at the baby shower. Caitlyn, Emily, Denise, and Mom had all agreed to work together in planning my baby shower. Amy, who had moved in with Nate and Caitlyn until her divorce from Caitlyn's father was finalized, was also helping with the baby shower by providing suggestions. She had agreed that all final decisions went to Em, Cait, Denise, or Mom. And I had no say in anything except cake apparently. I pressed the button for the last message. It was Shane.

"Hey Mitchie. I'm sorry that I'm going to miss the release tonight, but I hope you don't get trampled by those crazy fans. I love you and I'll talk to you later. Bye."

End of message. Nothing on when he's coming home? Nothing about the baby? Nothing? I felt my heart break as my blood boiled. I deleted the message and stormed back to my bathroom. I couldn't think straight. I grabbed the curling iron and began quickly curling my hair. I was angry to the point of tears. My hair was half way done when I finally broke down crying. I leaned against the wall and began bawling. I could feel Dylan kicking my stomach hard. I whined lightly.

"Stop baby. I'm sorry. Mommy will pull it together. Just stop kicking me," I begged to the baby in my belly. Dylan must have been able to understand me, because the kicking stopped. I wiped away the tears and quickly finished my hair. I began apply a bit of makeup, but a sharp pain in my stomach. I bent forward, holding my belly. I looked at the clock. Caitlyn and Nate wouldn't be here for another three hours. I closed my eyes. Concentrate. Could I be in labor? I'm only 28 weeks! No...no these aren't contractions. They must be Braxton Hicks. I had Braxton Hicks contractions at the beginning of week 23 and they hadn't come back. I wasn't in labor. I sighed and laid down on the bed. I felt a few tears slip past my eyes. I wanted Shane there to rub my back. I picked up my phone to call him and remembered why we were living apart in the first place. I dropped the phone on my bed and covered my eyes.

* * *

_"Shane, why can't you just listen to me?" I asked, my voice getting louder. _

_"I'm listening to you Mitchie! I don't think you're getting it through your head. I _can't _just stop working right now! If I was a solo artist like you, then I could just stop working. Unfortunately, I'm in a band. That means that Nate and Jason are part of decisions too," Shane said. I growled. _

_"You act like I'm asking for you to give up your life! I'm asking for you to come with me to the doctors! You have come with me to every appointment up until now. Connect 3 can _always _record their music at any time! But I have an appointment now. Please Shane," I said, exhausted from fighting. We were always fighting. I swear, the neighbors could hear us. _

_"Mitchie, the world does not revolve around you! Get over it!" Shane yelled. I felt my blood boil. _

_"Shane Gray, if you walk out that door, do_ not _come back!" I yelled as he opened the front door. He turned around and looked at me. _

_"Wouldn't dream of it princess," he sneered before slamming the door._

* * *

"I am a terrible wife," I said, putting a pillow over my face as the Braxton Hicks contractions raged on. I still wanted Shane. He and I always had these hiccups in our relationship. I bit my lip and sigh as I broke skin. I grabbed my phone again and dialed his number. I heard the phone ring once, twice, three times. I felt a few tears slip past my eyes again.

"Mitchie?" Shane asked through the phone, out of breath.

"Come home?" I asked through my tears.

"What's wrong baby?" he asked, concerned.

"I miss you so much Shane. Just please come home?" I whined. I heard Shane sigh.

"You didn't want me to come home, remember?" Shane reminded.

"Please Shane. Can we just forget that it happened?" I whined.

"No, I'm sorry Mitchie, but we need to remember that this happened. I know that it hurts, but we need to remember how this felt," Shane said. I sighed as a couple tears fell. These Braxton Hicks weren't going away. They were just getting worse. These couldn't be Braxton Hicks.

"Shane...please?" I begged.

"Mitchie, we just need another day or two," he said. I winced in pain.

"Shane...please come home. I need you now," I said.

"Mitchie-"

"No, Shane. Something's not right. My whole stomach feels tight. It hurts," I said, whimpering.

"I'm on my way," Shane said.

"Okay. I'll be here," I said pitifully.

"I love you," he said gently.

"I love you, too," I replied. We hung up and I covered my face with the pillow again. This wasn't how things were supposed to go down tonight. I was a terrible wife.

* * *

"This is _normal_?" I asked Dr. Frey as she informed me that my pains were simply the round ligaments stretching because of my baby's growth.

"Very. In fact, you should take it as a sign that you're baby is growing at the perfect speed. It's usually around the start of the third trimester that this begins. You're in the last stage of pregnancy and your baby is really going to just be gaining a lot of weight. All of their body parts have developed and now it's just about growing to a healthy weight. Dr. Frey explained. I nodded nervously.

"So is there anything that she can do to ease the pain?" Shane asked.

"Well, a lot of women have said laying down with your legs apart help ease the pain a bit. You could try a yoga class that's full of expecting mothers to help relieve the pain. Getting up and walking around the house would help. If you have a swimming pool, you could always swim for a little bit," Dr. Frey suggested. I nodded and leaned my head back. I was so relieved that Dylan was okay.

"Great! So Mitchie and the baby are okay? Everything's good?" Shane asked.

"Yes! But if anything should happen in the next few months before the delivery, I will be on call, as will the rest of the team. Mitchie, I know you guys are big travelers, but in the last trimester, you should be staying closer to home should the baby decide to make an early entrance. The likelihood of you going into labor before 36 weeks is extremely uncommon and if you find yourself _having _to take a trip before week 36, then you should be alright, but after week 36, if you have any interviews, I suggest doing it via webchat," Dr. Frey said. I nodded to her, making it clear that I understood what she was telling me.

"And if you have any kind of bleeding, whether it's spotting or not, you call me. Don't try to be brave and push through it. You call me immediately," Dr. Frey warned.

"I will," I said. Dr. Frey knew me too well. I was one of those people who waited until it was dire to go into the hospital. I couldn't do that this time.

"Now Shane, Mitchie isn't going to be as energetic as she has been recently. It's going to be like the first trimester all over again, except more extreme. Now I know you're experiencing sympathy pregnancy, meaning you'll essentially feel what she's going to be feeling. Meaning you'll both be feeling like crap," Dr. Frey said. Shane sighed.

"Well that's just great," he said sarcastically.

"Shut up Shane," I responded.

"Shane, do you think you're going to be able to keep it together for Mitchie?" Dr. Frey asked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shane asked, clearly offended.

"Shane, your case of sympathy pregnancy is not normal. Most men don't share the mood swings like their wives. I need to know that when it comes down to it, you are going to be the rock that Mitchie can lean on," Dr. Frey said gently.

"Of course I am!" Shane said, offended. Even I was a little shocked by Dr. Frey's concern, but she nodded and let us leave. Shane was out the door before I was, and Dr. Frey grabbed my arm. I turned to her, confused.

"I know it's not my place, but I think you and Shane should consider seeing a counselor," she said. I smiled at her concern, but shook my head.

"Shane and I don't need a counselor," I said, saying it to convince myself rather than Dr. Frey. She nodded in understand but slipped me a business card anyways.

"Well, if you change your mind, that is the marriage counselor that I would recommend. Even if it's only for one session," she said. I took the card and slipped it in my pocket before following after my husband.

* * *

"Do you want me to bring you back to the house? Or should I just drop you off at Nate and Caitlyn's?" Shane asked as we climbed back into the car. I looked at him in disbelief.

"Are you serious Shane?" I asked.

"Yes, I'm serious," he said. I could feel my blood boiling again. Shane had a knack of doing that to me recently.

"Why won't you just take me?" I asked.

"I was actually doing something before you called me," Shane said. I glared at him.

"I'm sure it can wait until tomorrow. The store opens in twenty minutes. Just drive me over there and I'll leave with Nate and Caitlyn," I said.

"I can't. I have someone waiting for me," he said. This caught my attention.

"Who?" I asked softly.

"It's none of your business," Shane replied.

"I'm your wife. It kind of is my business," I replied haughtily.

"You kicked me out. It's not your business," Shane snapped.

"You act like we're getting a divorce or something!" I exclaimed, exasperated.

"Well maybe we are," he said. That shut me up. What was he saying?

"Right, you're meeting with a lawyer at 11:40 at night," I sneered.

"You know I have plenty of personal friends who are lawyers. And I'd have to meet with them at night to keep the media off my tail. Did you think about that?" Shane retorted. I bit my cheek. Was he serious? I blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. I had cried over Shane enough for a lifetime, I wasn't about to cry over him _in front _of him.

"So you want a divorce?" I asked, the sadness in my voice clear. I saw the flicker of regret in his eyes. Was he regretting telling me his plan? Or was he lying? I wasn't sure. But as soon as it was there, it was gone again.

"Maybe I do," he said quietly. I wasn't expecting that answer. I nodded and leaned down and grabbed my purse.

"Never mind. I don't need a ride. The store is only a block from here. Just let your pregnant wife walk," I said. I opened the door and pulled myself out. I slammed the door and began walking towards the store. Thankfully, I had chosen to wear flats, not heels. I waddled down the sidewalk and heard the car door shut.

"Get in the car Mitchie!" Shane yelled. I rolled my eyes and kept walking.

"Go away Shane," I said angrily.

"Come on baby. Get back in the car," he said. I spun around.

"Don't '_baby_' me Shane Gray! Just go talk to your lawyers and draw up divorce papers. I'll sign them! We'll have a quick divorce. I promise!" I exclaimed. Shane faltered for a moment, and I took the opportunity to turn away from him again. I knew he kept following me, but I didn't acknowledge him and he didn't acknowledge me. I was just down the road from the store when I heard a honk. I turned and saw a limousine drive up to me. The door opened and Nate crawled out, looking pissed off. He looked back at Shane and then turned to me.

"Get in the car," he demanded. I nodded and climbed in as fast as I could. I saw Nate begin walking towards Shane, but I looked at Caitlyn.

"Oh hun, I'm sorry," Caitlyn said as I broke down. I shook my head.

"I should have seen this coming. Everybody told me that getting married young was going to backfire. I should have waited," I cried.

"No, Mitchie. You did nothing wrong. You and Shane are just going through a rough patch.

"He wants a divorce Caitlyn!" I said through the tears.

"What?! Where did you hear that ludicrous idea?" she asked.

"He told me himself! He told me that he was meeting a lawyer to draw up the papers tonight," I cried out.

"Honey, he was lying to you," she said. I looked at her in disbelief.

"How would you know?" I asked.

"Because he's been bumming on our couch for the past few weeks. He wants to fix everything between you two just as much as you do. But he can't do that if you both are hormonal wrecks. He was trying to get some space so he could clear his head. It's unfortunately not helped at all. He's just as moody as you. And when we're talking on the phone and you're telling me about your cravings, I swear to God, he's whining to Nate about how the same thing sounds so good," she said. I chuckled lightly.

"What do I do Caitlyn?" I asked softly.

"Honestly? I think you need to go see a counselor. Just talk to someone in a controlled environment. It'll do you both some good," she said.

"My doctor told me the same thing, so it must be right, but she didn't reassure me quite like you can. You're amazing Caity," I said.

"I do so much for this world, it's hard to _not _be amazing," she said. She and I both burst into laughter. She opened her purse and pulled out an eyeliner pencil and a tube of mascara.

"I know that it's not exactly what you had on before the tears, but it's better than going out there looking like a watered down raccoon," Caitlyn said. I smiled and allowed her to apply a fresh coat of make up. Tomorrow I would suggest counseling to Shane. But until then, this was my night. I needed to enjoy it.

* * *

The next morning, I sat on the couch watching Saturday morning Cartoons with Dani who had been dropped off at my house by my parents who had been getting on a plane to go look at houses back in Minnesota. I had only gotten a few hours of sleep, but I'd had so much fun with Dani the last few times we had spent time together that it didn't even matter to me. I was stroking her silky brown hair as she laid her head on my lap. Knowing that she was moving back to Minnesota with my parents made me sad, but I knew that I wouldn't be able to realistically raise Dani _and _Dylan without Shane.

"Wanna help me make breakfast?" I asked. She shot up and nodded excitedly.

"What are you in the mood for?" I asked.

"Mitchie, it's Saturday. We always have waffles on Saturday," she said.

"Well how about we mix it up a bit?" I suggested.

"How?" she asked.

"How about Banana pancakes?" I suggested. I watched her eyes lit up at the idea of something different.

"Sure!" she exclaimed and ran into the kitchen. I waddled into the kitchen behind her and began pulling out the pancake mix and some bananas. I showed her how to mix the pancake mix and pour the pancake mix onto the griddle.

"Alright, now don't touch the griddle, cause it's hot," I warned.

"I'm not a baby Mitchie," Dani said, rolling her eyes playfully. I smiled and looked at the clock. It was already almost nine in the morning. I would call Shane soon enough.

"What else do you want with your breakfast?" I asked.

"Bacon!" she exclaimed. I opened the refrigerator and grabbed the bacon. I pulled out a frying pan and let it heat up on the stove. I helped Dani flip the pancakes and began cooking the bacon. It wasn't much longer that I was putting her pancakes and bacon on her plate. I walked over to the fridge.

"Strawberries or blueberries?" I asked.

"Both!" she exclaimed.

"Both!?" I asked.

"Yes, both," she confirmed. I pulled both the strawberries and blueberries out and placed them on the counter.

"Milk or OJ?" I asked.

"Definitely OJ," Dani said. I nodded and took that out of the fridge as well. I dished up the fruit and pour the orange juice into our cups. I walked back over to the fridge and just saw her standing there, waiting for me to say something.

"Alright, go sit down," I said, pushing the stool back to the counter. She skipped over to her plate at the table and sat in her chair. I waddled over and took my own seat. I watched as she dug into her pancakes.

"Good?" I asked. She nodded and gave me a thumbs up. I smiled and began eating my own food.

"You know Mitchie, you're gonna be a good mom," Dani said between her blueberries and bacon. I looked at her and felt my heart soar. That meant a lot from my little sister.

"Well thank you Dani," I said. We were almost finished when the door bell rang. Dani's head shot up.

"I'll get it!" she screamed and tore off towards the door. I laughed and followed her as quickly as I could. I heard her open the door up and squeal.

"Shane! You're here!" she exclaimed. I felt my smile fall a little. He was here? I rounded the corner to the front door and sure enough, there he stood with a duffel bag.

"Shane? What are you doing here?" I asked as he pulled out of Dani's bone crushing hug.

"I need to talk to you," he said.

"Dani, why don't you go finish your breakfast and watch some more cartoons?" I suggested. She rolled her eyes, but complied with my request. I looked at Shane cautiously.

"Where can we talk?" he asked. I gestured to the bedroom and he nodded. We went in and closed the door behind us.

"So what's up?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Counseling," he said. I could feel my eyebrows rise at his strange response.

"Come again?" I asked.

"Let's do couples counseling. Just try one session with me and see how it works for us?" he said. I bit my lip. Despite all of our problems, Shane and I were still somehow on the same wavelength.

"Did Caitlyn put you up to this?" I asked.

"No. I haven't seen Caitlyn since yesterday," Shane said.

"But she told me that you were sleeping on their couch," I said.

"Last night, Nate told me to not bother going back to his place last night. So I checked into a hotel where I've had all night to think about how we can fix our relationship," Shane said. I looked into his eyes and only saw the sincerity behind them.

"Alright. We'll try counseling," I said.

"Great! We have a session for this afternoon," he said. I threw my hands in the air.

"Well who the heck is going to watch Dani?" I asked, irritated that he'd already booked an appointment.

"Well...maybe Emily and Jason would watch her?" Shane suggested. I groaned and ran my hand through my hair.

"No, Emily told me that she and Jason were taking a mini vacation to Napa this weekend," I said.

"Nate and Caitlyn?" he offered.

"Dani almost broke Nate's piano last time she was there. We've established that it's not the best place for her," I said, remembering when Dani and I had picked Caitlyn up for our girls night. Not even 10 minutes and Dani was destroying Nate's most valuable possessions.

"Where are your parents?" he asked.

"They're looking at houses back in Minnesota," I said. Shane sighed and glanced at the door.

"How about she just comes with us? We can bring my laptop and she can watch a movie or something?" Shane suggested. I groaned at this option. Dani was a fairly good child, but she was a bit...nosy.

"Alright, we'll see how that works," I said.

"Great. The appointment is at two," he said. I nodded and opened the door to the bedroom.

"You can either stay here for now or you can go do whatever," I said. He seemed to weigh these options for awhile.

"I'll go out for a couple hours," he said. I was a little upset when he said this, but I nodded and watched him leave the house.

"Why'd Shane leave again?" Dani asked.

"He's just got to go run some errands. He'll be back later. Dani, Shane and I have an appointment around two today. We need you to come along with us, but will you be able to be on your best behavior?" I asked.

"What will I get out of this?" she asked.

"I'll take you to your favorite restaurant after the appointment," I said. She seemed to consider this for a few minutes and then looked at me.

"I promise I'll be an angel."

* * *

"Are you sure that this is okay?" I asked, sitting on the couch in the shrink's office. Dani was sitting in a corner of the room in a bean bag with Shane's netbook on her lap and his headphones on her head.

"Oh of course. Plenty of clients bring their children into their sessions when they can't find anyone to watch them. It's perfectly fine as long as you both are comfortable," Dr. Andrea Fields said.

"I'm fine with it," Shane said. I nodded in agreement.

"Alright, then let's start. What do you guys think is your main problem?" she asked, taking out her clipboard.

"Well...I think that it's that we both have our own way of doing things and our ways collide," I said. I could see Shane's foot begin wiggling a bit, meaning he was holding his tongue about something. I glance at him.

"Shane, would you agree with this?" Andrea said.

"Not really. I mean, it's true, but I don't think that's the main problem," he said.

"What do _you _think the main problem is?" I asked.

"You have to control _everything _Mitchie. And then when I try to regain some of _my _control, you get bat shit crazy," Shane said. I faltered a little, but I was not about to back down.

"I'm bat shit crazy? At least I can accept my emotional crap. I know you drink a lot Shane," I said, opening up a can of something that we'd never discussed in the past.

"Shane, do you drink a lot?" Andrea asked, taking control back.

"I have a beer every now and then," Shane said.

"But beers aren't the only alcoholic drink. How often do you take in any kind of alcoholic beverage?" she asked.

"Maybe...a few times a week, but I don't have a problem," Shane said.

"Did you start drinking more when you found out Mitchie was pregnant?" she asked gently. I hadn't even considered this. Was that the reason. Shane sat there and glared at the therapist for a few minutes before he nodded slowly.

"Shane, I don't want you to feel like you're being blamed for all the problems, but I want to focus on that for just a few minutes," Andrea said calmly. Her voice was soothing. I decided that I preferred it to the shrinks I had when I was younger.

"Alright," Shane said.

"Now Shane, why do you choose to drink?" she asked.

"Because drinking makes me relax," he said.

"And when you found out Mitchie was pregnant it stressed you out?" she asked. Shane nodded.

"Now Shane, I'll have Mitchie to give me the answer, but I want to hear your response," Andrea said. Shane nodded and glanced at me.

"Have you ever laid a hand on Mitchie when you were drinking?" she asked. I could see his body stiffen for a second before he nodded slightly.

"What did you do?" she asked, jotting some notes down in her notepad.

"I've shoved her," he said quietly.

"How many times have you pushed her?" she asked.

"Twice," he said honestly. The fact that he was telling someone this made me proud. He really wanted to fix this. Fix us.

"Mitchie, what are you feeling when he pushes you?" she asked. I shrugged for a second.

"The first time I was scared. The next time I was terrified. I thought he would push me onto the ground and I would hurt the baby," I said.

"Shane, how do you feel when you hear that you scared Mitchie?" she asked.

"I never wanted to be the cause of fear for her," he said.

"When was the last time you drank?" she asked. Shane thought about it and shrugged.

"I don't know how long it's been, but the last time I drank was the night Mitchie stayed at her parents house for the night," Shane said. I was shocked. He hadn't drank at all? I was amazed.

"So you haven't drank anything?" she asked. He shook his head. I was proud of him.

"That's very good Shane. If you have a drink on special occasions, that's fine. But you don't want to have alcohol become a coping method. Especially not with a child on the way," Andrea said. I couldn't help wipe at the tears in my eyes, gaining the attention of Shane and Andrea.

"Mitchie, why are you crying?" she asked. I shrugged and sniffled.

"Come on Mitch. I just opened up. It's your turn now," Shane said gently. I looked up at them and smiled lightly.

"I'm just...really proud of Shane," I whispered, not trusting my voice.

"Why are you proud of him?" Andrea asked.

"I'm proud that he was able to make the choice to stop drinking," I said, lowering my head, not wanting my overly emotional self to continue crying.

"Is there any other reason you're crying?" Andrea asked gently. I thought back to sitting in my parents' guest bedroom, snapping the rubber band against my wrist.

"Because I'm not good enough to be his wife," I said truthfully.

"Why do you say that Mitchie?" she asked, coaxing me to open up more.

"Because it's true. Shane deserves the best. And if I'm not the best, then he's just going to be stuck," I said, feeling like shit. Here, Shane had done something amazing and I had, in a way, broken the promise I made him on the night that we first made love.

"Mitchie, why would you say that?" he asked. I glanced at Andrea who was watching me. I finally opened up about my past. The cutting. The not eating. The depression. I told her about how Shane had seen the scars. How he made me promise not to harm myself anymore. Everyone once in awhile, I would glance at Shane. It was like pouring salt in an open wound. It was like I could see his heart breaking.

"So have you harmed yourself recently?" she asked. I began to say no, but I remembered the broken rubber band. I nodded very slowly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Shane place his face in his hands. I had never felt so guilty.

"What did you do to harm yourself?" Andrea asked.

"I snapped a rubber band on my wrist," I said.

"Anything else?" she asked. I shook my head.

"When did you start snapping your wrist?" she asked.

"I only did it once at my parents house...but I've thought about doing it again recently," I said.

"When was the last time you wanted to?" she asked.

"Last night," I said meekly. Andrea began jotting things down in her notepad.

"And why was that?" she asked. I glanced at Shane who was looking at me, guilt and tears in his eyes. I was not expecting therapy to get this emotional with Shane.

"Shane told me he wanted a divorce," I said softly.

"Did you Shane?" Andrea asked.

"I...I did, but I didn't mean it. I just said it because Mitchie was jumping to that conclusion and she had kicked me out and I wanted her to be hurt like I was hurt when she told me not to come back home," Shane said. He glanced at me with the guilt still in his eyes.

"If I knew that you have been in that kind of place I would have _never _lied to you like that," he said.

"But...I didn't think I was in that place _until _you said that," I said.

"Well Mitchie...Shane...is there any other reasons why you guys think you're having problems?" Andrea asked. Shane glanced at me and I locked eyes with him. We were both extremely upset by everything that had been said, but I was ready to make everything better again.

"I think Mitchie might be afraid of me cheating on her again," Shane said, not looking away from my face.

"You've cheated before?" Andrea asked. Shane nodded.

"We had been dating for awhile and I made a huge mistake and we ended up breaking up for a long time after that," Shane said.

"Mitchie, are you scared that he'll cheat on you?" Andrea asked again. I nodded lightly.

"Does that stem from the whole 'you don't feel enough for Shane' thing?" she asked. I nodded again, not trusting my voice again.

"How much time did you guys spend with each other before the baby?" Andrea asked.

"Almost every hour of every day," I said.

"And after you found out about the baby?" she asked.

"Well...I think things started going south when Mitchie went back home when I was on tour because she was feeling sick and she wanted to find out if she was pregnant. I think that after that, we were spending less and less time with each other. Every day it was just more and more time apart," Shane said.

"Why weren't you guys spending more time together?" Andrea asked.

"Well, almost immediately after the tour wrapped up, I bought our new house and it was a bit of a fixer upper at first, but I wanted it to be a surprise for Mitchie, so I would be spending most of my day either at the studio doing my job or fixing up the new house. Mitchie, of course, didn't know what was going on, which is why the fear that I'll cheat on her reemerged," Shane said.

"Mitchie?"

"Well...yeah. I mean, it was like Shane was my security blanket and then suddenly I never had that. I just thought the worst," I said.

"Now...this may seem personal, but when was the last time you guys had sex?" Andrea asked.

"Forever. He won't have sex with me," I said immediately.

"It's not that I won't have sex with you. It just makes me uncomfortable with our child being right there with us," Shane admitted.

"What's sex?" a small voice from the corner asked. All of our heads snapped over to Dani.

"Monkey, you'd better put those head phones back on," Shane warned.

"But the computer died," Dani said with a slight pout on her face. Shane sighed and pulled his iPad out of his computer bag and handed it to her. She plugged in the headphones and got wrapped up in something else.

"Sorry about that," I apologized.

"Don't worry. It's fine," Andrea said, refocusing herself.

"So you guys haven't had sex in a long time because you, Shane, feel uncomfortable about the child being there," she stated. We nodded in agreement.

"Well, then Mitchie, I think you should acknowledge that it makes him uncomfortable," Andrea said. I sighed.

"But it's not like it's going to harm the baby," I said.

"That's not the point. To you, the baby is still part of your body. To me, that's like having our kid in between us while we're having sex. And while it won't harm the baby, it's not exactly comfortable for me knowing they're right there," he said.

"Well what about when I was still fairly thin?" I asked.

"I didn't know that I wouldn't hurt the baby then," Shane said.

"I told you it wouldn't," I said.

"You also told me that waxing doesn't hurt," Shane said. I cracked a small smile, remembering a night a few nights before our wedding when he, Caitlyn, Nate, Jason, and I were all playing truth or dare and Caitlyn had dared him to wax his legs. On the plus side, he had very soft legs on our wedding night.

"Shane, having sex while Mitchie is pregnant is perfectly safe unless your doctor has advised against it," Andrea said, clearing that up.

"What about his discomfort for having sex while I'm pregnant?" I asked.

"Well, there are other ways you guys can show affection. I've had other clients in the same position and some of the husbands have show affection in other ways, like give long massages. What I think the issue is with you guys is that you went from having constant contact and affection every day all day to nothing. Those are two extremes that aren't always healthy. While you guys are married, you are still your own people. My suggestion is that during the day, be your own person, but at night, show each other that you love each other. You should both compromise with each other. One night, have sex despite that it may make you a bit uncomfortable Shane. Another night, just cuddle up on the couch and watch a movie, even though it may not be your idea of a good night Mitchie," Andrea said. Shane and I both nodded, taking in what she had to say. I could slowly feel myself relaxing and the idea that Shane and I could fix this made me smile.

"Alright, I think our time is up. Anything else you two would like to tell each other?" Andrea asked. I turned to Shane and smiled.

"Shane...I haven't felt this relaxed with you in a long time. Thank you so much for suggesting this. I love you more than you know," I said.

"Mitchie, I know we aren't perfect, but we're going to get through this. I love you too," Shane said, grabbing my hand and kissing the back of it.

"Thank you Dr. Andrea," I said.

"Thanks," Shane said. I walked over to Dani and saw that she was asleep in the corner. I took off the headphones and slipped the iPad out of her hands. Shane came and picked her up and grabbed his laptop bag. He took my hand and we walked out of there all together.

* * *

**Aww! Everything is good in Smitchie land! Is it here to stay or will it go away? This is already chapter 10! Holy crap! I can't believe it! Do you know what that means? It means we have two more chapters! :O Next chapter and then the epilogue. I'm very sad to see it go, but I'm excited because I want you all to know what happens in the end! **

**Alright, and this is the last chapter that I'll have you guys guessing what song it is, because for next chapter, there is a song that I want you guys to listen to while you read the chapter, and it's NOT Demi Lovato. But I think you guys will like the song. The people who were able to get the song in the last chapter were BrighterRocky and Andy95S! Yes, the chapter was, in fact, "For the Love of a Daughter!" **

**Okay, I don't think there's really anything else to address. Next chapter we see if Dylan is a boy or a girl! :O Now if you read my stories One Year and The Final Year before I took them down to rewrite them (still working on that) then you know that I have a history of making Smitchie's children girls. So will Dylan be a girl? Or will I mix it up and it will be a boy? We'll find out! **

**The original chapter was 7,126 words! :O This one is 6,461 words. That means there's a new post on the Bonus Scenes Blog! It's an extended scene of Mitchie and Dani at breakfast. So feel free to check it out! **

**I'm going to challenge you guys this chapter. If you guys can _somehow _get this story to have more than 100 reviews (so for _everyone _to review this chapter) I will post the next chapter and the epilogue on Saturday and Sunday respectively. Are you guys up to the challenge? It's not going to be easy, but I know you guys can work wonders. I have faith in you guys! **

**Alright, I love you guys! Have a great rest of the week and I'll see you guys Saturday! **

**Love  
-T**


	11. Chapter 11

**You guys did it! You got me to 102 reviews! I knew that I could count on you guys! Alright, for this chapter, to get the full effect, I recommend either going to YouTube and looking up the song "Ever Enough" by Rocket to the Moon, or just go to either of the Tumblr blogs for BubblegumPenguins and it will be on autoplay. Both links are on the profile. I really think that this song affects the tone of this chapter, so I think it would benefit, but you don't have to.**

**Alright, enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

I sat on the couch across from my husband. The tension was so thick that it was choking the life out of me. We had been on good terms again, but he didn't want to push his luck by moving back in quite yet, much to my dislike. We still fought, like we had been not even 20 minutes ago, but nothing as bad as it was. This time it was a slight disagreement on when exactly he would move back in. I would have happily welcomed him back the day after therapy, but he didn't want to push it. He would spend all day here, but when it was time for bed, he would go back to whatever hotel he was staying at. It was quite vexing if you asked me.

I sighed and rubbed my belly. I had a week until my due date. I was so excited, but I wanted Shane and I to be on good terms again. I didn't want to bring Dylan into the world with Shane and I still like this. I glanced at Shane and noticed that he was watching me. We were at a stalemate. Somebody had to cave, and as much as I didn't want to, I knew Shane wasn't planning on it either. I closed my eyes, building up the courage to stand up and go to him. As long as we both shall live. That's what we promised. We weren't giving up that easily.

I opened my eyes and started pushing myself up, but I noticed that Shane was standing over me. Our eyes locked and I felt the electricity coursing through me again. He pulled my knees away from each other and knelt down in between them. I could feel the electricity between us and just like that, all the tension dissipated. Shane placed his hands on my belly and began rubbing circles. He kept eye contact with me though. He leaned down and placed a kiss on my swollen stomach, maintaining eye contact. I felt a shudder rip through me. He leaned away, hands still making lazy circles. I leaned forward and captured his lips with mine. It wasn't a passionate make out session, but it held all the passion in the world. It was an apology. It was forgiveness. It was regret. It was happiness. It was sadness. It was fear. It was excitement. But moreover, it was love. Cheesy, I know, but it was true.

We pulled away and Shane rested his forehead against mine. I had to admit the time that we'd been separated were brutal and before the therapy session we had, I had been debating on finding a lawyer and drawing up divorce papers, but now that we were here again, together, in this moment, I remembered why I married Shane in the first place. I loved him. I loved him more than I would ever be able to express. We've been through a lot in the past nine years that we've known each other, and even though at times it seemed like it was going to pull us apart, life always kept us together.

Shane grabbed my hands and helped pull me up. He turned us around and sat down on the floor. He helped me down to the floor, in between his legs. I leaned my back into his chest and rested my hands on my belly. Shane wrapped his arms around me and laid his hands on my belly. I smiled lazily as he traced little circles on my belly. Dylan wasn't kicking. Probably sleeping. I'd decided that Dylan took after Shane as far as being lazy.

I felt my stomach tightening. It was probably a Braxton Hicks contraction. I was having them more recently. Dr. Frey told me it was just my body preparing itself for the actual birth. I tried melting into Shane. It didn't hurt bad. It was just uncomfortable. I felt Shane kissing my neck gently. I tried clearing my head of the discomfort in my stomach and just focus on the fact that things were going to be okay between Shane and I.

We were probably sitting their for a good hour, and the whole time, the Braxton Hicks weren't going away. If anything, they were getting worse. I began counting. There was still a significant gap in them, but they shouldn't be getting closer together. I was now about 8 minutes apart. The contractions were getting more painful, but not like you see in the movies. I wasn't doubled over in pain. I looked at Shane behind me.

"Shane, can you help me up?" I asked sweetly. Shane nodded and began standing up. I saw him cringing.

"You okay babe?" I asked as he held out his hands to me. He nodded.

"Yeah, I've just got a stomach ache," he said. I smiled at him in empathy. He was going to be in a lot of pain later if his stomach ache was going to get worse with my contractions.

"I'm sorry Shane. Can you do me a favor?" I asked calmly. I knew he was going to be feeling just as crappy as I was. I couldn't be anything but patient with him.

"Sure, what is it?" he asked.

"Can you make sure I set up the bassinet properly?" I asked. Shane nodded and walked towards our bedroom. I followed behind him. I had decided that walking up and down the stairs in the middle of the night was not going to be pleasant, so I'd keep the baby in the bassinet until a schedule was set up and things went smoothly at night.

"Looks like everything is okay," Shane said. I nodded and pulled out my baby bag that I'd been packing and repacking for the past week or so.

"Can you do me a favor and go put the car seat in the car. Remember, it's a rear facing car seat," I said. Shane nodded and gave me a thumbs up.

"On it," he said. I wondered as he walked out without arguing if he was experiencing this nesting thing from the sympathy pregnancy. I chuckled to myself and smiled at my baby bag. It was ready to go. I laid down and rubbed my belly soothingly. I was excited and nervous. This was it. This was really happening. I just knew it. Shane came back in, smiling at his success.

"Alright. Got that done," Shane said.

"Great, now can you do me one last favor?" I asked.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Start the car and call Dr. Frey and tell her that I'm about 7 minutes apart and I'm coming in," I said as another contraction hit my stomach. Shane's eyes were about to pop out of his head. His cool and collected attitude was replaced by a nervous and frantic Shane. He didn't know what to do. He pulled out his phone and called Dr. Frey and said (screamed) that I was in labor and that we were coming in. She asked if my water had broken. I told her that I hadn't. She told me that unless my contractions were four minutes apart or my water had broken, I would be better off staying home. So we agreed that we would wait and call when I either got to four minutes or my water broke. Or both.

"Shane, baby, calm down," I said as he was pacing.

"I can't help it. I'm nervous," Shane said.

"Call Nate. I'm sure he'll take your mind off it for a second," I suggested. He nodded.

"You're a genius Mitch," he said. He called Nate. I heard it ring a few times and then Nate picked up.

"Mitchie's going into labor!" Shane blurted. I face-palmed. I couldn't help it. I could hear Nate freaking out on the other side. I had a feeling it was going to be crowded at the hospital when we were there.

* * *

"My wife is in labor. Her name is Mitchie Gray," Shane said to the receptionist in the emergency room.

"Yes Mr. Gray. You've told us that five times already," the receptionist said with a patient tone. My water had broken about half way to the hospital. This baby was coming and these contractions were killing me. Shane had told Nate to call everyone and that I'd try to make it a quick delivery. Easy for him to say.

A male nurse came up to us and gestured me to sit in the wheel chair he'd brought with him. I happily sat in it as Shane and I were taken to my delivery room. Dr. Frey was waiting for me when I was wheeled in. She smiled at me.

"How are you feeling Mitchie?" she asked.

"I'm okay. I think I'm better than Shane," I said honestly. Shane looked like he was about to pass out.

"Well, let's get you ready and I'll check to see how dilated you are, alright?" she asked. I nodded and went into the bathroom to change into the hospital gown. I was nervous. I was terrified. I wasn't ready to do this. I sighed and splashed my face with a bit of water. I needed to just calm down. I changed into the gown and walked out to see Dr. Frey bending over Shane with a cup of water.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Shane fainted," she said bluntly. I sighed and shook my head. Of course he did. I climbed onto the bed and put my feet into the stirrup. Dr. Frey quickly checked and then told me to put my legs back down.

"Well Mitchie, you are about 7 centimeters. And we'll start pushing at 10 centimeters. You may be in here for awhile. Or it may happen within the hour. Be ready for just about anything, okay?" she said. I nodded and smiled. She left the room and I sighed. I glanced at my fainted husband.

"Shane Gray, I swear to God if you don't get up before I have this baby, I'm going to strangle you with the umbilical cord," I said softly so nobody outside of the room could hear me.

"Damn, even in labor, Mitchie is extremely violent," a familiar voice said. I turned around and saw the whole family. Everyone from Denise and Paul to Emily and Jason.

"Mimi, why are you in the hospital?" Dani asked. I smiled at my 5 year old sister.

"I'm having my baby. You're going to be an Auntie," I told her.

"I'm going to be an Uncle," Jason said softly.

"I'm going to be a Grandma!" Mom exclaimed excitedly.

"Mitchie, your baby shower was tomorrow. You couldn't have held on a day longer?" Emily teased. I rolled my eyes.

"I told you that the week of my due date was a bad idea," I replied.

"Connie and I both carried past our due dates. We were sure that you were going to be just fine," Denise explained.

"Whoa. Suddenly the room is crowded," I heard Shane mumble. I turned to look at him standing up.

"Please don't faint anymore," I said.

"Sorry. Dr. Frey was explaining to me about tearing and it was just..." he trailed off and shuddered dramatically. I laughed for a second before another contraction hit. They just kept getting closer and closer. I was ready to push, but apparently that didn't mean anything to my slowly dilating...ahem, yeah.

* * *

"Please tell me I'm 10 centimeters!" I exclaimed to Dr. Frey when she walked in five hours later. The last time I was checked, I wasn't quite nine inches. I was ready to kill someone.

"Well let's check and I'll tell you. I'm going to have to ask everyone but Shane and Mitchie to leave for now," she said. Everyone filed out and I put my legs in the stirrup again. I held Shane's hand as another contraction hit me. She was only down there for a second before she pulled away and hit something in her pocket. Within seconds a whole team of nurses and doctors came in.

"What's going on?" Shane asked.

"Your baby is already crowning," Dr. Frey said quickly as all the doctors rushed to sanitize themselves for the birth. I glanced at Shane's excited face. I didn't know if this was good or bad, but I knew that it meant my baby was about to come. It seemed like an eternity, but it was only a matter of minutes when Dr. Frey was in front of me and Shane was holding my hand with his right hand and holding a video camera in his left.

I felt like I was being torn apart. Every time Dr. Frey ordered me to push, I would muster up all the energy I could and push my baby out. I wanted it to be over. I had never felt this much pain. I squeezed my eyes shut and remembered the first time I kissed Shane. The first time he met my father. The first time we made love. It was like our whole relationship was flashing before my eyes. Everything we've gone through has lead us to this moment. Right here in the delivery room.

After the pain disappeared, I heard the cries of a baby fill my ears and I automatically knew Dylan was fine. I heard a bunch of people congratulating me, but I was deaf to everything but my child's cries of life. The doctors placed Dylan on my chest and I immediately burst into tears of joy. Shane kissed my forehead. I could hear him telling me how proud he was of me and how I did amazing, but all of my attention was focused on this infant in my arms.

All too soon, the doctors took Dylan to get cleaned up, weighed, and a quick check up. Shane turned the camera to me and told me how beautiful I looked. I was filled with so much joy that I thought I was going to burst. How was it that the greatest pain I'd ever felt was quickly followed by the highest high.

Shane handed me the camera as Dr. Frey called him over. I recorded him as he, with shaky hands, cut Dylan's umbilical cord. I could see that Shane was about to start crying. I shut the camera and just watched as Shane kissed Dylan's head. He came back over to me and kissed me gently. I couldn't feel any better than I felt right now.

A few minutes later, Dr. Frey came back holding baby Dylan in her arms. She leaned down and handed Dylan to me before giving Shane and I a bit of time to ourselves. We stayed like that for about five minutes, just admiring our beautiful baby. Shane slipped out of the room and came back with Mom, Dad, Denise, and Paul. I handed Dylan over to Shane to let our parents hold. I heard them all comment on how adorable Dylan was, but I was starting to doze off. I didn't want to, but I wasn't going to be able to stay awake forever. Finally, sleep captured me.

* * *

"Dylan, I can't promise you that Mommy and I won't fight. In fact, we'll probably fight too much, but no matter how many times we fight, I want you to know that I love you and Mommy more than I could ever explain. And someday, many, _many _years from now, you'll know what I mean. Someday you're going to be going through all of this. But that's not going to be for _years_. You are the most beautiful baby I have ever seen. You look just like your mother. You wouldn't want to look like me. Trust me here," Shane said softly as I came out of my slumber. I blinked sleep away and I saw Shane lazily walking around the room, talking to Dylan in his arms.

"I think Dylan is a good mix between me and you," I said softly. Shane turned around towards me. I look like I startled him. I was nervous that I would do that and he'd hurt Dylan, but instead he pulled the little green bundle closer to him. I smiled as he relaxed and brought my baby to me. He placed Dylan gently in my arms and sat down next to us.

"I still can't believe you're here," I said quietly, stroking Dylan's face with my finger softly. Dylan's little hand grabbed my finger with an unbelievable grip. I smiled and kissed the tiny hand holding onto my finger. I couldn't feel happier than I do right now. It would be impossible.

"You know I love you, right?" Shane said quietly. I looked up at him and nodded.

"Of course," I said.

"Good. Because...I know that we've been having some problems lately, but...I just want you to know that I want to be there for everything. Both the good and bad days," Shane said quietly. I smiled.

"Good, because I do too. I love you Shane," I said quietly.

"I love you too. And I love you too," Shane said, leaning over and kissing Dylan on the head.

"Promise me something," I said softly as I watched him kiss Dylan's head.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Promise me that...no matter what, you will always be here for Dylan. Even you're not here for me, be here for Dylan," I said softly.

"I promise. I'll be here for Dylan and you," he said gently. I nodded and watched as his attention turned back to Dylan. I looked down at my adorable baby.

"So I know that you wanted a boy, but how do you feel about Dylan?" Shane asked, smirking at me. He knew the answer as well as I did. I smirked the famous Gray smirk back at him.

"She's perfect."

* * *

**Dylan is a girl! I know majority of you were saying that you wanted a boy, but I just imagine Mitchie's first kid being a girl!**

**This is the last time that I announce the people who got the song from last chapter (because I told you guys what song inspired this song at the beginning) so the song from last chapter was "Fix a Heart" and a handful of people got it! Congrats to BrighterRocky, Tabitha,** **Belle****, Lovaticful, XxDiamondJAInTheRoughxX, Andy95S, and Melissa****! **

**I think that I have to say for today. There's no deleted clips in this chapter, but I promise there will be plenty of deleted clips for the epilogue tomorrow (I need to at _least _cut it in half, because it's currently at over 10k words)  
**

**Alright, so what did you think about the last chapter? Let me know in a review and I will see you guys for the last time tomorrow. Now, I need to go pick one of the four endings that I've written up for you guys. Are you feeling in the mood for a happy ending? Or a tragedy? Or a bittersweet ending? I still haven't made a definite decision, so let me know! **

**Love you guys!  
-T  
**


	12. Epilogue

**I don't think that it's fully hit me that this is all over now. Maybe it'll have hit me by the end of it. Enjoy the Epilogue of Stop the World and ultimately, the final chapter of the Speak Now universe. **

* * *

"Come on Mitch! We've gotta go!" I heard Shane call from the living room.

"I'm coming. Don't worry," I said, opening our bedroom door. I looked at the four people in front of me. There was Dani, beautiful 14 year old Dani. I didn't really say anything about it anymore, but she looked a lot like me. It was obvious that we were sisters. Her hair was the same silky brown color that mine was. She was quickly catching up to me in height. My 5'3" was going to be nothing on her. She was already 5'1" and growing. After Mom and Dad had moved back to Minnesota, they made what I believe was probably one of the hardest decisions as a parent, right behind letting me go on tour with my boyfriend at the age of 17 and kick my brother out of the house. They let her move in with Shane and I. She hadn't been adjusting well to Minnesota life, and she was thrilled to come back to California.

Standing next to her was my beautiful eight year old daughter, Dylan. She was growing up to be quite the handful, but Shane and I both knew that by the time she got to high school, she was going to be a heart breaker. She took after me for the most part, but she definitely had Shane's personality. Such a little smooth talker.

In Shane's arms was my little Shane clone, Cameron. He was all Shane. Part of me wondered if any of my genetics went in to Cameron. He had the thick black hair, the mocha brown eyes, and the same personality as his sister and father. We had Cameron when Dylan was five and when she had met him, she had asked us when he was going back. Needless to say, she was not happy to learn that he was there to stay.

Then there was Shane. 35 years old and he was still the most handsome person in the room if you asked me. He and I hadn't changed much over the eight years of children. We were still just Shane and Mitchie, but now we were Shane and Mitchie, plus some kids. We still had our flourishing careers. We still fought, but not nearly as much as we had when I was pregnant with Dylan. We still occasionally went to see Dr. Andrea, but only when it was absolutely necessary. Things hadn't changed much, and when they did, it was usually for the better.

Connect 3 had disbanded not long after Jason and Emily tied the knot. Caitlyn and Nate had just had their first child, a little girl named Naomi. I was pregnant with Cameron. Emily and Jason were excited to start a family. It was just too much for them to balance everything, and they had agreed that the days of Connect 3 were over. But being Connect 3, they couldn't just fade into the background and quietly break up. Oh no, the boys had to go out with a bang. They went to New York and played a three day concert. Although, if you asked any of the fans, it was more of a really big party than a concert. They went out with a bang.

A year later Emily and Jason finally got pregnant, but Emily had lost the baby. It was devastating for everyone. The public never knew about it, but she had told the whole family. She had gotten extremely depressed for a long time, so Jason and her had taken a very long vacation in what is still an unknown destination. Nate had briefly mentioned something about how Jason had told him that they had their own island. It didn't matter. When they came back home, Emily had a new skip in her step. They found out not long after, that Emily had Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and that she would probably have a hard time getting pregnant, but that it was possible. She started taking medication for it and a year after that, she gave birth to a little baby boy named John.

But it had been eight years, and not everything could have a happy ending. A little more than a year ago, Mom and Dad had been hit by a drunk driver on their way to my Minnesota concert and the car had rolled into a ditch. The driver of the other vehicle hadn't been wearing their seat belt and had gone through the front window. My parents had been wearing their seat belts, but my father's seat belt had broken his collar bone and locked him into place. He hadn't been able to get out of the car before the fire that had started hit the gas tank. The doctors told us that he didn't feel any pain, but that didn't console Dylan, Dani, Patrick, Mom, or I. Everyone flew out to his funeral in Minnesota. A few months later, Mom moved back to California and moved in with Caitlyn's mom, Amy. They kept each other strong. Dani moved back with Mom for awhile, but opted to stay with Shane and I in the end.

Patrick had kept in close contact with us for about a month after my father's funeral. The last we heard about him, his now ex-wife Kayla told us that he had started using again. We chose that it would be in our best interest to not go looking for him. If he chose to find us again, he would know where to look. I would be Dani's only big sibling. I would be her role model.

But even though I'd experienced plenty of heartache, I had never let it tear me down. And here we were now, getting ready for Dani's middle school graduation.

"Everyone ready to go?" I asked, slipping on my shoes.

"Yes Mom. Let's _go _already!" Dylan said, tapping her foot. I smirked and slipped on my shoe in slow motion.

"Mitchie!" Dani exclaimed, laughing lightly. I laughed and hurried up.

"Okay! Okay! Let's go get Dani graduated from middle school!" I said, clapping my hands. We all filed out of the house into our "swagger wagon" that we had gotten when we learned that Cameron was on the way.

"So Dan, you excited about high school?" Shane asked as we pulled out of the driveway.

"No," she said honestly.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Because I'm just not excited about it," she said, leaning against the window. That was one thing that frustrated me about Dani. She was at that age where everything I said was received with an attitude.

"What's up Dani? Why don't you wanna go to high school?" Shane asked.

"Can we just drop it?" she asked. I shrugged and just turned forward. The car ride was filled with mostly silence, except for when Cameron and Dylan got into one of their spats. We pulled up to the middle school and we all climbed out.

"I'll see you guys later," Dani said, turning away from us and heading towards the school. I glanced at Shane.

"I'll find you guys in there. I need to talk to her," I said, speeding off to catch Dani. I walked to where her homeroom was. I found the room with the door closed. I glanced in and saw the teacher wasn't in there yet. I glanced over to Dani and saw that a group of girls were approaching her. I figured they were her friends, so I didn't think anything of it, until I saw them start pulling at her hair and clothes, laughing. I could see that she was uncomfortable and I felt my anger flare. My maternal instincts were to waltz in there, grab my sister, and protect her. But I knew that if I did that, she would just end up more humiliated. I saw her stand up from her seat and start storming towards the door.

I ducked away from the door just in time for Dani to swing the door and run to the bathroom across the hall. I glared at the girls in the classroom and followed Dani into the bathroom. I opened the door and heard Dani crying in one of the stalls. I walked through the bathroom and knocked on the stall.

"Go away!" Dani exclaimed.

"Dan, open up," I said gently. I was expecting her to put up a fight. To yell. To be angry. Anything. But what I wasn't expecting was Dani to throw herself into my arms and began sobbing. I held her and rocked her back and forth, calming her down.

"Why don't they like me?" she asked.

"Dani, it's because they're just petty teenage girls. You're going to come across them more than you will ever want to. But they come a dime a dozen," I said.

"I don't want to keep coming here," she said softly.

"Honey, you have graduation. Then you don't ever have to come back here," I said gently.

"I mean, I don't want to keep coming to school," she said. I knew what she was saying.

"Shane, Mom, and I will talk it over," I said, hugging her again. She pulled away and nodded, wiping her eyes. I looked at her and saw that her eyes were now smudged with something dark.

"Are you wearing eyeliner?" I asked, pulling her face to me. She slapped my hands away from her chin.

"Stop. I'm a teenager. Come on Mitch," she said, wiping the melted makeup off. I smiled at her and opened up my purse. I pulled out an eyeliner pencil and a tube of mascara.

"Well first thing's first. You need to learn how to put on eyeliner properly," I said. She smiled and nodded. We spent the next few minutes applying a suitable amount of makeup for a 14-year-old.

"Perfect. See. Less really is more," I said, spinning her around. She smiled and leaned against me.

"Mitchie, it's times like this where I think you're a great mom," she said. I leaned my head on her.

"Well, I'm sure Dylan will object when she's your age, but I'll try to keep that in mind," I said. I walked her back to her homeroom and waited with her for the teacher to show up. And when the teacher _did _finally show up, she told me I couldn't be here and I had to get to the gymnasium. I hugged Dylan and made my way to the gym and quickly found Shane holding Cameron, Dylan playing on Shane's phone, and my mom trying to get her attention. I saw a few of the kids staring at Shane, but for the most part, everyone knew that Shane and I had a student here and didn't bother us much.

"Hello family," I said, sitting down next to my mother.

"Hello Michelle. Where have you been?" Mom asked.

"With my sister," I said.

"How is she?" Shane asked.

"She is apparently getting bullied," I said.

"Dani?" Mom asked.

"No, your other eighth grader," I said sarcastically.

"But Dylan tells us how popular she is and how much she loves school," Shane said. I shook my head.

"She was crying in the bathroom. She doesn't want to go to high school," I said.

"She's not dropping out of school at age 14," Shane said. I rolled my eyes.

"I know she's not. She wants to be home-schooled," I said.

"She needs to go to high school," Mom said.

"Mom, we can afford to get her a private tutor," Shane said to my mother.

"How will she get any socialization?" Mom asked.

"She has friends Mom. It's not like she's a hermit and the only time she has human interaction out of the house is at school," I pointed out.

"Plus, a lot of other kids in the world of fame are home-schooled. I'm sure she'll be able to meet some of them," Shane said.

"We'll talk more later. Here come Nate, Caitlyn, and Naomi," Mom said. I looked and sure enough, Caitlyn and Nate were walking in the doors, Nate holding Naomi, looking for us. I waved them up to us. Caitlyn saw us first and started pulling Nate towards us. Jason and Emily had wanted to come, but they had agreed to decorate for the surprise party we were having for her. We knew it was just middle school graduation, but it was still worth celebrating.

"Hey sissy. How's Mommy Life treating you?" I asked as Caitlyn sat next to me. She glared at me and shook her head.

"Naomi, tell Auntie Mimi what you did to Daddy's new guitar," Caitlyn said to Naomi who was sitting on Nate's lap. She smiled and held up her hands which were covered in what looked like dried purple paint. Shane started laughing as my jaw fell open in surprise.

"She didn't really," I said.

"Oh, but she did. We have pictures," Nate said, handing Caitlyn his phone. She opened the photo gallery app and showed me his purple guitar. I covered my mouth to keep from laughing, but it didn't work.

"I'm sure Naomi didn't mean to ruin the guitar," Mom said, taking her from Nate.

"She's clearly got Caitlyn's personality," Nate said. Caitlyn nodded in agreement.

"Sadly, it's true," she said. I chuckled and nodded.

"Here they come!" Dylan exclaimed, causing all of us to look towards the doors. Sure enough, there was Dani walking in the line with her peers. I smiled, extremely proud of my little sister. Once everyone was sat, a large man with peppered hair and a matching mustache approached the podium.

"Thank you families and friends of the graduating eighth grade class."

* * *

"That was a way crazy party," I said as Shane and I cleaned up our house. He nodded in agreement, throwing a ball of wrapping paper at me. I laughed as it bounced off my head. I walked over to my abandoned piece of cake. I took a bite of it and began humming a song that I was thinking on. I felt Shane wrap his arms around my waist. I dabbed my finger in the frosting and offered it to Shane. He wrapped his mouth around it and licked off the frosting. I wrapped my right arm around his neck and my left arm rested across his arms across my waist. I felt his lips on my neck, laying kisses and playful nips. I smiled at his actions.

"I'm thinking about going blonde," I said quietly. He lifted his head and rested his chin on my shoulder.

"Why's that?" he asked. I turned around and wrapped my arms around his neck, his hands falling to my hips.

"Everybody knows blondes have more fun," I said with a playful wink. He chuckled and placed a kiss on lips.

"I think compared to Emily, you have more fun," he said, kissing along my jawline.

"But just think about how sexy I'll look with long blonde hair," I said, stretching my neck so Shane could get better access.

"I think you look sexy with your brown hair," he said, lifting me onto the counter. I spread my legs apart so Shane to stand in between them. I looked down at him and pouted lightly.

"You don't think I'd look sexy with blonde hair?" I asked.

"I think you look sexy with any hair color, but your natural shade is my favorite," he said.

"Is it weird, looking back on our life?" I asked. Shane shook his head.

"No. We're still as strange as we were when we were kids," he said.

"We've been married for ten years," I whispered. Shane groaned and rested his head on my chest.

"Don't remind me! We're so old!" he exaggerated.

"I'm not old. You're old, but I'm not," I said, giggling. Shane began placing kisses on my collar bone. I let my hands tangle up into his thick black hair. I felt my stomach bubble with anticipation. Shane began tugging at the hem of my shirt.

"Not out here Shane. What if the kids come downstairs?" I asked.

"They'll have to learn sooner or later," Shane said. I laughed lightly.

"Dani would kill us," I said. Shane shrugged.

"I don't care," he said. I shook my head.

"We have to finish cleaning first," I said, making no move to keep cleaning.

"We can in the morning," he said, pulling me closer to him. I sighed in pleasure as he pulled my shirt up over my head. He threw it somewhere in the kitchen and began assaulting my skin with his sinful lips. I began clawing at his shirt. I got a grip on the fabric and pulled it up. Shane broke away long enough for me to pull his shirt off, tossing it in the same general direction of my discarded shirt. His lips automatically connected with mine. I felt him lift me off the counter and I wrapped my legs around his waist. I felt him carrying me towards our bedroom. Everything was going smooth until my back collided with the corner of the wall. I let out a hiss in pain and arched my back away from the wall.

"This is more glamorous in the movies," Shane said, laughing lightly. I chuckled and reconnected our lips as he brought me into our bedroom. He threw me onto the bed and just stood there looking at me, his eyes hungrily watching me. I crawled under the blankets and disappeared. I tossed my jeans right past Shane. My bra followed on the other side. Finally my panties followed, landing on Shane's chest.

"I'm incredibly turned on right now," Shane said bluntly. I patted the bed. He smiled and shimmied out of his pants and jumped in the bed with me. He rolled on top of me and threw the blankets over our heads, succumbing to our passions.

* * *

"I love you," Shane said for the millionth time that night as we lazily laid in our bed, spent from our activities.

"I love you, too," I said. I was laying on top of him, looking down at him lovingly.

"What are you thinking?" he asked. I kissed his bare chest.

"I'm just thinking about you," I said.

"What about me?" Shane asked, his eyebrows rising out of curiosity.

"I wish that we could just stop the world," I said.

"Really? Why's that?" he asked.

"There's so much that we could do if we had all the time in the world. It would be amazing," I said.

"Mitchie, we may not have all the time in the world, but we do have a lot of time left in us. I think we're spending it right. With each other. With our family," he said. I smiled and placed a kiss on his lips.

"I think you were the smartest decision I've ever made," I said.

"I _know _you were the smartest decision I've ever made," Shane stated. I grinned and laid my head down on his chest. I closed my eyes, focusing on his heart beat.

"Do you remember when I proposed to you?" Shane asked softly. I opened my eyes and looked at him.

"Of course I do. You took me to Camp Rock in the middle of winter and we had sex on top of the piano that you first heard me playing," I said softly.

"And then we went skating on the lake," Shane said.

"And then you made a bonfire," I reminisced.

"And then I got down on one knee, and asked you to marry me," he said, tracing my jaw line.

"Shane. Promise me something?" I said softly.

"Anything," he said.

"Promise me that no matter what, we will always be together," I said softly. He opened his mouth to answer, but as soon as we did, the ground started shaking around us. I grabbed rolled off Shane and looked around as the whole room began shaking.

"Shane!" I exclaimed, getting ready to run out of bed.

"Mitchie, wait for it to pass!" Shane said, pulling me to him. I could hear Dylan, Dani, and Cameron call for me. I sat there for Earthquake, hearing my children and sister calling for Shane and I. We could hear things falling up stairs and watched as a crack formed in our wall. As soon as the shaking subsided, I stood up and put my clothes on as fast as I could, fishing out a clean shirt. Shane and I both exited the room only to see Dani and Dylan running down the stairs.

"Was that an earthquake?" Dylan asked, running to Shane.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was. Are you guys alright?" I asked. They nodded. I sighed in relief.

"Is Cameron okay?" Shane asked. Dani nodded.

"I think so. He wasn't crying anymore after the quake," Dani said. I nodded.

"I'm going to get him," I said. Shane nodded and brought the girls to the couch. I walked up the stairs, looking at the photos that were tilted from their places on the wall. I glanced into the girls' room. Their bookshelf was on it's side and I could see Dylan's snow globe shattered on the ground. The clock on the wall had fallen as well. I sighed and walked to Cameron's room and peeked my head in. My heart stopped.

"Cameron!" I screamed. The ceiling fan had fallen and somehow hit my son. It looked like he had been getting out of bed, coming to Shane and I when the fan had fallen out of the ceiling. I pulled him out from under the suddenly lightweight ceiling fan.

"Cam!" I heard Shane say as I pulled my son to me.

"Call 911!" Shane called down to Dani and Dylan. I sat there, crying over my son. Shane came beside me and checked for a pulse.

"Anything?" I asked.

"I'm looking!" Shane said, fear evident in his voice.

"Look harder!" I sobbed. I placed my fingers under his nose. There was no air coming out.

"He's not breathing!" I said.

"I don't feel a beat. Do you remember the CPR training we had a few years ago?" he asked. I nodded.

"I'll count to thirty and then you need to breathe for him," he said. I nodded. I noticed Dylan peeking into the bedroom.

"Go down stairs with Danielle!" I yelled to her.

"But Mom-"

"Now Dylan Marie!" Shane shouted. She quickly bolted it. Shane began the chest compressions, counting to thirty. I quickly breathed into his mouth.

"Anything?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Again," Shane said. We continued CPR for what felt like hours. After a couple more minutes, I watched as his chest filled up with air and he began coughing. I felt my heart beating in my ears. I looked at Shane.

"He's breathing! He's breathing!" I said enthusiastically.

"He's not out of the woods yet," Shane said, his face still serious. I nodded and started stroking his head. He wasn't opening his eyes.

"Dani! Is the ambulance here yet?" Shane asked. The hospital wasn't that far away. Ten minutes tops, but ambulances didn't have to worry about other cars.

"Not yet!" she called back. I closed my eyes and prayed to whatever higher being there was to not take my son yet. It was too soon. It wasn't time yet. I couldn't only have gotten a few years with him.

"They're upstairs," I heard Dani say after the front door opened. I watched as a couple EMTs came up the stairs with a stretcher. Before I knew it, I was sitting on the ground, watching them carefully take him down the stairs to the ambulance. Shane was pulling me up.

"I'm going to go with him. You and the girls get dressed and meet us at the hospital," Shane said. I nodded, wiping away my tears that I didn't realize had fallen. I watched him disappear down the stairs. I followed his trail, but half way down the stairs, I heard the door shut.

"Mommy? Is Cameron going to be okay?" Dylan asked as I got to the bottom of the steps. I looked at her and Dani, who looked extremely guilty. I was about to say something when the ground started rumbling. The girls and I automatically dived under the table.

"Another one?" Dylan cried.

"It's an aftershock. It'll be fine," Dani said, consoling her. A few seconds later, the shaking stopped and we came back out. I looked at the girls.

"Go get dressed. We're going to the hospital," I said. They nodded and started walking up the stairs.

"Wait," I said, stopping them. They looked at me, expectantly. I frowned and looked at the ground, saying, "I'm going to get you your clothes. You guys can change down here."

"Alright Mitchie," Dani said, pulling Dylan to the couch.

"If another aftershock comes, get under the table," I instructed. They nodded and I carefully climbed the stairs again. I walked into their room and grabbed them each a pair of their sweat pants and a long sleeve shirt. I walked back down and handed them each their clothes. Neither complained. We all changed quickly and made our way into the car.

"What if another aftershock comes while we're driving?" Dani asked.

"We'll pull over and wait for it to pass," I said, climbing in. Dani climbed into the passenger seat and Dani into the back seat. I started the car and quickly pulled out of the driveway. We made our way down the road and I started hearing sniffling. I looked at Dani who was leaning against the window, her hand covering her face. I looked in the rear view mirror and saw Dylan was in a similar position.

"Is Cameron going to be okay Mommy?" Dylan asked. She didn't call me Mommy much anymore, so she must have been extremely scared.

"He'll be fine Dyl. Let her drive," Dani said. We drove the ten minutes to the hospital without the rumbling returning. I climbed out and walked over to Dylan, who had broken down in the back seat. I crouched down and pulled her into a hug.

"We should have gotten him before we went downstairs," she sobbed. I shook my head.

"No. You guys didn't know. Don't start beating yourself up over it," I said. I pulled away and helped her out of the car. I held her hand and turned to Dani.

"What if he doesn't make it?" she asked softly so Dylan couldn't hear. I shook my head.

"I don't know yet," I said. We began walking into the hospital. I saw Shane sitting on one of the chairs in the waiting room. I could see a few other families glance at us, recognize us, and then focus on their own family. I began wondering how bad the damage the earthquake did.

"Shane," I said softly. He looked up and stood up. He walked over and wrapped me in a hug. He buried his face in my neck and I could feel him crying. His body convulsed with the sobs.

"How is he?" I asked as he started calming down. Shane looked at Dani and Dylan, with red, teary eyes. Dani sighed and looked down at Dylan.

"Come on kid. Let's go get some soda in the cafeteria," she said, taking Dylan's hand. Once they were gone, I looked back at Shane.

"He stopped breathing again," Shane said. I shook my head and ran my hands through my hair.

"What did they say was wrong?" I asked, feeling the tears pricking at my eyes.

"He had a concussion from the fan falling on him. They said there was some swelling in his brain," he said. I covered my face, shaking my head.

"Mr. and Mrs. Grey?" someone said. I looked and saw a doctor with a grave look on his face. I straightened up, praying that my child would be alright.

"Is he okay?" Shane said, trepidation evident in his voice.

"I'm sorry, but we lost him," he said. I felt my whole world come crashing down. I wasn't thinking clearly.

"Well get him back," I said. The doctor sighed and began talking, but all I could hear "we lost him" echoing in my head. I fell into Shane's open arms and began sobbing. I was that inconsolable mother that people always saw in movies.

My son was gone

* * *

Four years. It's been four years since my son was taken from me. Four years since my whole life changed. I was standing on the side of the stage, watching my little sister performing her first concert of her first headlining tour. I was dancing and singing to her music. Dylan was standing next to me, complaining for me to stop dancing and that it was too embarrassing for her twelve-year-old self to handle. I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned around and saw Caitlyn and Nate standing there.

"Hey you guys," I said, hugging them both.

"Hey Mitchie. How have you been?" Nate asked. I sighed.

"I've been okay. You know, all this sucks, and I'm sure that once it's over, I'll be better. How is he?" I asked.

"Shane is...Shane," Nate said. I smiled sympathetically.

"I don't blame him for anything. I understand why he distanced himself," I said.

"Mitchie...are you sure that this is right?" Caitlyn asked.

"Yeah. After Cam passed, Shane and I became completely different people. He wasn't the person I fell in love with and I wasn't the woman he fell in love with. We changed," I said.

"I think he misses you," Nate said quietly. I shrugged.

"I miss him, too. But this is for the best, and he knows it," I said. They nodded.

"Is he coming tonight? Or did he have something else?" I asked.

"He was doing some paperwork tonight. I'm not sure," Caitlyn said. I nodded again and turned back towards Dani on the stage.

"Alright, now my big sister is here tonight, you all know Mitchie Torres?" I heard her say. I heard the audience begin cheering. I smiled at the supportive audience that my sister had.

"Well she's got this new single coming out. Maybe you've heard about it?" she asked. I heard the audience begin cheering again. I laughed lightly.

"Maybe if we get real loud, she'll come sing it for us?" she said, looking at me. I felt my smile fall off my face. I shook my head.

"Come on guys! Mitchie! Mitchie! Mitchie!" Dani started encouraging the audience to start cheering and chanting my name. I heard a whisper ripple through the stage hands. I glanced behind me and saw Shane looking around. I felt my heart race and I grabbed Caitlyn's arm.

"He's here," I said.

"You can't sing your song now," she said.

"Come on Mitchie! You don't want to let your fans down, do you?" Dani said. I glanced at her and then back to Shane who caught my eyes.

"Mom, come on! Go out there!" Dylan said, pushing me onto the stage. Before I could scamper back off stage, the audience saw me and began cheering. I couldn't back out now. I looked at Shane and bit my lip. Dylan walked over to me with her microphone and gave it to me.

"You can do it Mitch," she said.

"Shane is here," I said under my breath. I saw Dani's face fall for a second before she smiled sympathetically and shrug.

"He was bound to hear it sooner or later," she said softly. I rolled my eyes and hugged her before she left the stage for a wardrobe change. I looked out into the audience. It had been a good five years since I had put on a concert. This had been my comeback album of sorts. I sighed and put a smile on my face, looking enthusiastic, even though I was dying inside. I had written this song as my way of venting about the break up with Shane. I had told everyone that it was just that we were too different after Cameron died. That was a lie.

After Cameron died, Shane grew distant with me. At first I thought he had blamed me for not getting to Cameron in time, but then I learned that he had felt incredibly guilty for being the last one to see Cameron alive. I couldn't imagine feeling that guilt. In the end though, I wasn't able to handle the distance anymore. Shane had gone from loving father and devoted husband to businessman/musician who never had time for his family. Shane began buying Dylan, Dani, and I a bunch of expensive gifts to compensate for him leaving us every couple of weeks. At first, Dylan and Dani didn't mind. I admittedly didn't mind at first either. But no material thing could replace the affection and attention that he gave us.

"So how many of you guys have heard of the Greek legend of King Midas?" I asked. I saw a few hands raise, but the majority were clueless.

"My goodness! What are they teaching in schools these days?" I asked. I laughed lightly.

"Oh my gosh, I'm getting old," I said. I could hear my audience laughing at that statement. I was only in my mid-thirties, but in the world of fame, it was much older.

"Well long story short, the Greek god Dionysus granted King Midas a wish. His wish was that anything he touched would turn to gold. He ended up getting his wish, and that was great, but when he turned his daughter to gold, he realized that this was not a gift, but a curse. The good news was that in the end, he was able to wash away this curse that he was given. Now, a friend of mine has a Midas of her own, and he hasn't washed his curse away yet, but I'm hoping he can get rid of it before he turns everything to gold. This song is called 'All I See Is Gold,'" I said, introducing the song. I heard the music start for my new song and began nodding to the beat.

"_I've got a sea of flowers,_  
_but all these hours are just mine alone,_  
_no one's home._  
_Bought me the finest china._  
_Each time I dine it's always me alone,_  
_with the heater on._  
_Left to your own devices._  
_A master of disguises._  
_Why is that not surprising._  
_It's like you're Midas._

_Ooh ooh_  
_Now all I see is gold._  
_All I see is gold._  
_Ooh Ooh_  
_Now all I see is gold._  
_All I see is gold_," I looked at Shane who was hiding behind the curtain. I could tell by his face that he knew exactly who this song was for and what it was about. I loved him more than I could ever express, but I couldn't wait for him to get it. Part of me wished, hoped, _prayed_ that he would figure it out and be the person that I needed him to be; that is _daughter _needed him to be. If he waited much longer, it would be too late.

"_You're probably somewhere sunny_  
_And I'm here wondering if you dream of me_  
_While you're by the sea_  
_Of all the people passing_  
_Your face appears in everyone I see_  
_But you're not with me_  
_And now I just can't tell if_  
_That's just the way you felt_  
_When we were just beginning_  
_You've turn to Midas_

_Oohh oohh_  
_Now all I see is gold_  
_All I see is gold_  
_Oohh oohh_  
_Now all I see is gold_  
_All I see is gold_," I could feel my heart beating in my ears. What would he do? Would we be able to fix all of this? I could feel his eyes burning into me. I just wanted to stop the song and run to him. But I didn't do anything. I had nothing to apologize for. Not even for asking for the divorce. But he hadn't objected! I remember the day I told him I wanted a divorce. Dinner had just finished with and Dani and Dylan had gone out with Caitlyn and Naomi to the mall. I had calmly told him that I wanted a divorce. He had just sat there for awhile, staring at me. He didn't say anything for a long time. He then shrugged and said okay, and left for the night. I didn't know where he went. I didn't care. I cleaned up the dinner dishes and then proceeded to mourn the loss of my marriage. We were able to somehow keep it out of the public eye, but rumors had just started circulating about a possible divorce.

"_And when you hold my hand_  
_I don't feel anything_  
_All I feel is cold_  
_And all I see is gold_

_ooh it's like your Midas_  
_Ooh ooh_  
_Now all I see is gold_  
_All I see is gold_  
_Ooh ooh_  
_All I see is gold_  
_All I see is gold_

_Ooh_  
_All I see is gold_  
_All I see is gold_  
_All I see is gold_," I finished. I smiled and waved to the crowd who were cheering for me. I walked off the stage to see that Shane had disappeared. I plastered on the most realistic smile I could and hugged everyone. I felt Dylan hug me tighter than anyone.

"Dad left," she said softly. I nodded, smiling sadly.

"I saw," I said softly.

"He just left. Go catch him," she said. I felt one of my eyebrows rise in curiosity.

"Come on Mom. I'm not dense. I know that Dad is supposed to be King Midas. Go stop him from turning everything to gold," she said. I smiled lightly.

"How did you get to be so poetic?" I asked.

"From my parents. You should meet them sometime," she said, not even missing a beat. Definitely had Shane's personality.

"I think I should. Your mother seems to have raised you right," I said.

"He went left," Dylan said, pointing towards the exit. I nodded and started walking down the path that Shane would have taken. I knew this stadium like the back of my hand. I bit my lip when I came to the exit. Could he have already left? I pushed the door opened and saw that it was pouring rain. How cliche.

I stepped out into the warm, summer rain and walked towards the parking lot. I saw his Mercedes Benz with the lights on. I walked towards it, my heels clicking with the raindrops falling. I could see into the passenger seat. I saw Shane, his head on the wheel. As I got closer, I could see that he was white knuckling the wheel. I approached the car and knocked on the window of the passenger seat. I watched him raise his hand and look at me.

It was then that I saw how he truly was. I could see the circles around his red eyes. He was unshaven. His face was pale and a bit sunken in. I opened the car door and climbed into the car. I shut the door and sat there for a minute or two, listening to the sound of the rain. I could hear Shane sniffle every once in awhile. I hesitantly looked at him and saw him looking forward.

"Was I really that shitty of a husband?" he whispered. I looked down slightly. How could I answer that?

"You weren't a shitty husband," I said softly.

"But I wasn't a good one," he retorted. I looked up and analyzed his broken face. The last time I had seen it quite so broken was when we were in New York City and he had just embarrassed himself on The Today Show and was then booed off the stage. That was almost fifteen years ago now. But my first instinct now was to hold him and love him.

"I miss you," he said softly, locking eyes with me.

"I miss you, too, Shane," I said honestly.

"I've been seeing Dr. Angela," he said. I could feel my eyebrows raise in surprise. He didn't _look _like he had been seeing Dr. Angela.

"Have you?" I asked softly. He nodded.

"She's been working with me about how Cameron's death...it wasn't my fault," he said softly.

"It wasn't," I said.

"I hear you. But what kind of father can't protect his own son?" he asked.

"What kind of _mother _can't protect her own son?" I asked rhetorically. He nodded and looked out the front window.

"I never came to terms with it. And it...it ruined our marriage. But I want to be better," he said, looking back at me. I sat there, listening to him. I could feel my heart beating. Would he say it? Three words. Take me back. Three words. I love you. Three words. Don't give up.

"Shane, what are you saying?" I said softly. He sighed, shaking his head. He opened his car door and stepped out, I could see him pacing. He wanted to do this in the rain? I married a walking cliche. I caved. I opened the car door and let the warm rain wash over me once again.

"Shane, answer me. What do you want?" I said over the rain. He walked over to me and grabbed my shoulders. The last time he did that was twelve years before, when I was still pregnant with Dylan. The difference was that this time, I could feel that Shane was holding me in fear rather than aggravation.

"Mitchie, I love you so much. Don't give up on me. I can be better. Please take me back," he whispered. I felt my heart beat increase. I pulled him into a hug. I felt him hugging me back. I pulled away after a few seconds and looked him in the eyes. I bit my lip. He had said it. I love you. Don't give up. Take me back. But there was part of me that wondered if we would always be doing this dance. Would Shane and I always be doing this little dance. We are in love, something happens, we fight, we break up, we get back together.

"Shane...I want to give you a last chance. But I don't want to go through this again," I said softly.

"I promise Mitchie that this will be it. I swear that I'm not the husband you need, I won't put you through this anymore. Please Mitchie," Shane said. I could hear Dylan, Dani, Nate, and Caitlyn's voices getting closer. They must have been pretty close since the rain was still deafening.

"Mitchie, please stay my wife," he whispered, stepping closer. I couldn't handle it anymore. I grabbed his jacket and pulled him to me. His lips crashed with mine in a familiar and yet foreign way. I felt Shane's hands tangle into my hair. I couldn't help but think how cliched this was, but...the hell with making fun of cliches. Cliches made me feel warm inside. I felt my heart soar.

"I don't know whether to be grossed out or extremely happy that they're kissing," I heard Dani say. I pulled away and looked at Shane.

"Let's not need a fifth chance," I said softly. He smiled for the first time in forever.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he said. I smiled. We turned to the group that was watching us.

"Give us a few minutes," Shane said. Caitlyn and Nate both sent us knowing looks before turning the girls away from us, walking back towards the building.

"Mitchie, I want you to know that I'm going to try harder than ever to make this up to you. I know that we can't get back the past four years. But I want to fix everything between us. If I'm going to be like King Midas, I'm going to wash myself of this curse as well," he said. I smiled. Suddenly the rain seemed even more cliched. I grabbed his hand and we began walking back towards the stadium.

"Hey Mitch."

"Yeah?"

"I'm so glad you were around when they said speak now."

* * *

**It's over! I'm sure you feel it. I don't feel it at the time that I'm writing, mainly because I still have to post it. It's not over until the email says, "Hey, you have a new chapter for your story. Awesome." **

**So what was your opinion on the ending? I wrote multiple endings and I seriously considered having it be a tragedy (I am having the worst possible day) but you guys all wanted a happy ending, so I compromised and you're getting a bittersweet ending where one of their kids have died, but they're getting back together and the insane cycle of breakup/makeup continue! **

**There is a "deleted" scene and three alternative endings that I've got on the Tumblr for you guys right now, so feel free to check that out and tell me if you think this ending was right.**

**If anyone is wondering, the song is "All I See Is Gold" by Bridgit Mendler. **

**Before anyone asks, I will not be doing another sequel. I feel like I've exhausted this storyline enough to finish this story. Plus, for the first time in the almost 7 years that I've been writing, I am finishing a story without a new idea in mind. And that might mean that I don't write for awhile. Or it might mean that I'll be back here in a few months with this new idea. But I think it means something that I don't have another new idea, so I'm just going to let that sit with me for now. **

**I really don't want this to end, because as I've stated before, I think this may be the final Camp Rock story I post. I'm sure that will turn to be false, but I think it might be good for me to venture back over to the InuYasha section or perhaps venture to something totally new and exciting. I guess we'll see, but in the instance that I don't return to write for this fandom, I just want to say thank you. Thank you to anybody who has ever read my stories. Thank you to anyone who has ever given me any kind of advice. Thank you to the few individuals who have been around since the beginning of the BubblegumPenguins. I couldn't have written these stories without your ongoing support and encouragement (even when that encouragement meant sending me tweets/PMs/Facebook-stalking Messages to tell me to get my shit together and post).**

**Alright...I guess this is it you guys. I love you all more than I could properly express in just a simple goodbye for now message. **

**Until the next time  
-Tianna**

_*I, BubblegumPenguins, do not own anything copyrighted, including any Demi Lovato songs, Bridgit Mendler songs, or Rocket to the Moon songs. I do not own any businesses mentioned in this story. I do not own Disney Channel or any affiliates (trust me, if I did, I would be making this stuff real) I don't even own this laptop I'm writing this on. The only thing I own is my $60 cell phone that is only worth $20, and the tube of mascara I bought yesterday*_


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